Autumn buttercup

Description

Ranunculus bullatus, commonly known as autumn buttercup, is a perennial member of the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native to Europe and north Africa, including most Mediterranean islands. Its leaves, which only grow at the base of the stem, are 2–6 cm long, oval, and have broad rounded teeth. Each plant has 1 or 2 flowers which are yellow, scented and about 25mm in diameter. Each has 5-12 petals which are slightly irregular. It flowers from October to December, often covering large areas of ground. Grows throughout the Mediterranean region, including north Africa, in rocky places, olive groves and dry fields, from sea-level up to 900m. In Latin Rānunculus means "little frog", from rāna "frog", and bullatus means "inflated". There are three subspecies, Ranunculus bullatus subsp. bullatus (L.) which grows in the Iberian Peninsula, France and Italy; Ranunculus bullatus subsp. cytheraeus (Halácsy) which grows in the eastern Mediterranean including Libya; and Ranunculus bullatus subsp. supranudus (Jordan & Fourr.) which grows in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. Ranunculus is a large genus of about 600 species of flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae. Members of the genus are known as buttercups, spearworts and water crowfoots. The familiar and widespread buttercup of gardens throughout Northern Europe (and introduced elsewhere) is the creeping buttercup Ranunculus repens, which has extremely tough and tenacious roots. Two other species are also widespread, the bulbous buttercup Ranunculus bulbosus and the much taller meadow buttercup Ranunculus acris. In ornamental gardens, all three are often regarded as weeds. Buttercups usually flower in the spring, but flowers may be found throughout the summer, especially where the plants are growing as opportunistic colonizers, as in the case of garden weeds. The water crowfoots (Ranunculus subgenus Batrachium), which grow in still or running water, are sometimes treated in a separate genus Batrachium (from Greek βάτραχος bátrakhos, "frog"). They have two different leaf types, thread-like leaves underwater and broader floating leaves. In some species, such as R. aquatilis, a third, intermediate leaf type occurs. Ranunculus species are used as food by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the Hebrew character and small angle shades. Some species are popular ornamental flowers in horticulture, with many cultivars selected for large and brightly coloured flowers.