Common Name:
Buttercup
Scientific Name:
Ranunculus sp
Unique Qualities:
The buttercup has a shiny polished look due to an additional layer of cells just beneath the surface of its petals. Buttercups contain a colorless, bitter juice which causes severe pain and inflammation when eaten. The buttercup gets its name from an old English game where children hold a buttercup flower under each other's chins. If it leaves a yellow mark, then the child likes butter. The yellow mark is actually pollen.
Can be Seen:
Members of the buttercup family are found throughout the world, but they are most common in the cold and temperate regions of the Northern hemisphere, and some regions in the Southern hemisphere.
Likes to Hang Out:
Some buttercup species like to hang out in fields, roadsides, moist woods and meadows. Other buttercup species like to hang out in wetlands, swamps, and bog habitats. Northern buttercup species are found on the tundra, muskegs, and in the boreal forest.
Benefits of the Plant:
Most species in the buttercup family are only slightly poisonous. The species known as Monkshood, can cause death, to anyone or anything, within hours of ingesting any part of the plant. Even though this plant is poisonous, it can be used in modern medicine for the treatment of rheumatism.
Status:
The buttercup family is common and secure globally, though it may be rare in parts of its range. There are around 1500-1800 species worldwide and the buttercup family is represented by six types in the Canadian Arctic.
