Mountain Buttercup - Ranunculus eschscholtzii

Mountain Buttercup
Ranunculus eschscholtzii Schlecht.
Synonyms: R. nivalis

Family: Ranunculaceae, Buttercup
Genus: Ranunculus

Description
General: perennial, often waxy-coated, hairless throughout
to yellowish- or brownish-soft-hairy below the flowers, from
a root crown and slender, fibrous roots. Stems 1 to several,
erect, mostly 10-25 cm tall.

Leaves: the basal slender-stalked, the blades kidney-
shaped to broadly obovate in outline, 1-3 cm long, from
shallowly 3-lobed to 2 or 3 times cut into linear segments.
Stem leaves usually lacking or 1 or 2 and then alternate
and transitional to the stalkless, 3-lobed to finely cut bracts.

Flowers: yellow, 1-3 on stout stalks, 2-12 cm long, with
5 rounded petals, 7-15 mm long. Nectary scale 0.5 mm
long, hairless, forming a small triangular pocket. Sepals 5,
spreading, 3-8 mm long, hairless to yellowish or brownish-
hairy, usually purplish-tinged, quickly dropped. Receptacle
ovoid, up to 15 mm long. Stamens about 40-125.
Flowering time: Late June-August.

Fruits: 30-80 achenes, obovate in outline, 1.5-2 mm
long, slightly flattened, nearly as thick as broad, smooth
and usually hairless or finely hairy, the edges evident but
not prominent. Stylar beak prominent, slender, 0.8-1.5 mm
long, straight to somewhat curved.

Distribution
Mountain meadows and talus slopes, in w. and sc. parts of
MT. Also from AK to CA, NM and AZ.

Toxic plant: see below.

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Contents
Identification
English Names Index
Scientific Names Index
Family Index

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Poisonous Properties:
All parts of buttercups are mildly poisonous when fresh, the toxins are destroyed by heat or by drying The plant also has a strongly acrid juice that can cause blistering to the skin. Ingestion causes burning of the mouth, abdominal pain, vomiting, and bloody diarrhea. Skin redness, burning sensation, and blisters may follow contact with the sap. The toxic principle is protoanemonin, released from the glycoside ranunculin. However, larger quantities must be eaten for serious toxic effects to be experienced.