Ranunculus /ræˈnʌŋkjʊləs/ is a large genus of about 1750 species of flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae. Members of the genus are known as buttercups, spearworts and water crowfoots.
The genus is … See more

The genus name Ranunculus is Late Latin for "little frog", the diminutive of rana. This probably refers to many species being found near water, … See more

The most common uses of Ranunculus species in traditional medicines are as an antirheumatic, as a rubefacient, and to treat See more

• "Ranunculus" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 22 (11th ed.). 1911.
• Jepson Manual treatment
• All about the Ranunculus Archived 2016-02-16 at the Wayback Machine See more

Plant
Buttercups are mostly perennial, but occasionally annual or biennial, herbaceous, aquatic or terrestrial plants, often with leaves in a rosette at the base of the stem. In many perennial species runners are sent out … See more

Molecular investigation of the genus has revealed that Ranunculus is not monophyletic with respect to a number of other recognized genera in the family—e.g. … See more

All Ranunculus (buttercup) species are poisonous when eaten fresh, but their acrid taste and the blistering of the mouth caused by their poison means they are usually left uneaten. Poisoning in livestock can occur where buttercups are abundant in overgrazed fields … See more