# Ranunculus bulbosus

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Species of flowering plant in the buttercup family

Ranunculus bulbosus Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Clade: Embryophytes Clade: Tracheophytes Clade: Spermatophytes Clade: Angiosperms Clade: Eudicots Order: Ranunculales Family: Ranunculaceae Genus: Ranunculus Species: R. bulbosus Binomial name Ranunculus bulbosus L.

***Ranunculus bulbosus***, commonly known as **bulbous buttercup** or **St. Anthony's turnip**,[1] is a [perennial](/source/Perennial_plant) [flowering plant](/source/Flowering_plant) in the [buttercup](/source/Buttercup) family [Ranunculaceae](/source/Ranunculaceae). It has bright yellow flowers, and deeply divided, three-lobed long-petioled basal leaves.

## Description

The “bulb” of the bulbous buttercup

The stems are 20–40 cm (8–16 in) tall, erect, branching, and slightly hairy, with a swollen corm-like base.[2]: 120[3] There are alternate and [sessile](/source/Sessility_(botany)) leaves on the stem. The flower forms at the apex of the stems, with 5–7 petals,[3] the sepals strongly reflexed.[2] The flowers are glossy yellow and 1.5–3 cm (0.6–1.2 in) wide. The plant blooms from April to July.

## Distribution

The native range of *Ranunculus bulbosus* is Western Europe between about 60°N and the Northern [Mediterranean](/source/Mediterranean_Sea) [coast](/source/Coast). It grows in both the eastern and western parts of [North America](/source/North_America) as an introduced weed.[4] Bulbous buttercup grows in lawns, [pastures](/source/Pastures) and fields in general, preferring nutrient-poor, well-drained soils. Although it doesn't generally grow in proper crops or improved [grassland](/source/Grassland), it is often found in [hay](/source/Hay) fields[5] and in coastal grassland.

## Etymology

The bulbous buttercup gets its name from its distinctive [perennating organ](/source/Perennating_organ), a bulb-like swollen underground stem or [corm](/source/Corm), which is situated just below the soil surface. After the plant dies in heat of summer, the corm survives underground through the winter.[6][7] Although the presence of a corm distinguishes *Ranunculus bulbosus* from some other species of buttercup such as *Ranunculus acris*, the species also has distinctive reflexed [sepals](/source/Sepal).

Other names for the bulbous buttercup are "Goldcup" because of the colour and shape of the leaves, and "Frogs-foot" from their form.[8]

## Uses and in culture

This plant, like other [buttercups](/source/Buttercup), contains the toxic [glycoside](/source/Glycoside) [ranunculin](/source/Ranunculin), which gives it a bitter, acid taste, so cases of poisoning in humans are rare.[9] It is also avoided by livestock when fresh, but when the plant dries the toxin is lost, so hay containing the plant is safe for animal consumption.[3] Pigs are unaffected by the toxin and eat bulbous buttercups avidly, being prepared to travel long distances to find them;[10] hence the folk name of the plant, [St Antony's](/source/Anthony_the_Great) Turnip, after the patron saint of swineherds.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [NRCS](/source/Natural_Resources_Conservation_Service). ["*Ranunculus bulbosa*"](https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/plant-profile/RABU). *PLANTS Database*. [United States Department of Agriculture](/source/United_States_Department_of_Agriculture) (USDA). Retrieved 18 October 2015.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Stace-2019_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Stace-2019_2-1) [Stace, C. A.](/source/Stace%2C_C._A.) (2019). *New Flora of the British Isles* (Fourth ed.). Middlewood Green, Suffolk, U.K.: C & M Floristics. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-5272-2630-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-5272-2630-2).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Uva-1997_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Uva-1997_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Uva-1997_3-2) RH Uva, JC Neal and JM Ditomaso (1997) *Weeds of The Northeast*, Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY. pp. 294-295

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Weed management"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120205111022/http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/organicweeds/weed_information/weed.php?id=70). Archived from [the original](http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/organicweeds/weed_information/weed.php?id=70) on 2012-02-05. Retrieved 2007-04-03.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Bulbous Buttercup: *Ranunculus bulbosus*"](https://web.archive.org/web/20061210084212/http://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/ranbu.htm). Archived from [the original](http://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/ranbu.htm) on 2006-12-10. Retrieved 2005-11-16.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Coles-1973_6-0)** S Coles (1973) *Ranunculus bulbosus* L in Europe. Watsonia 9: 207-228

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Sarukhan-1974_7-0)** J Sarukhan (1974) Studies on plant demography: *Ranunculus repens* L., *R. bulbosus* L. and *R. acris* L.: II. Reproductive strategies and seed population dynamics. The Journal of Ecology: 151-177

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Grieve, Maud (1971). [*A Modern Herbal: The Medicinal, Culinary, Cosmetic and Economic Properties, Cultivation and Folk-lore of Herbs, Grasses, Fungi, Shrubs, & Trees with All Their Modern Scientific Uses, Volume 1*](https://books.google.com/books?id=FgW4KJUSXkIC&pg=PA149). Courier Corporation. p. 149. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780486227986](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780486227986).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Cooper-2003_9-0)** Cooper, M.R.; Johnson, A.W.; Dauncey, E.A. (2003). *Poisonous Plants and Fungi*. London: The Stationery Office. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-11-702861-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-11-702861-4).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Grieve-1931_10-0)** Grieve, Maud (1931). *A Modern Herbal*. New York: Dover Publications Inc. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-486-22798-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-486-22798-7). {{[cite book](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_book)}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility ([help](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:CS1_errors#invalid_isbn_date))

## External links

- Media related to [*Ranunculus bulbosus*](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Ranunculus_bulbosus) at Wikimedia Commons

Taxon identifiers Ranunculus bulbosus Wikidata: Q939633 Wikispecies: Ranunculus bulbosus APA: 3055 APDB: 152045 BioLib: 38393 BOLD: 291926 Calflora: 7031 CoL: 6X4PR EoL: 473783 EPPO: RANBU EUNIS: 176809 FNA: 242001712 GBIF: 3033329 GRIN: 30817 iNaturalist: 78820 IPA: 6289 IPNI: 712367-1 IRMNG: 11374897 ISC: 116660 ITIS: 18594 MichiganFlora: 2385 NatureServe: 2.151950 NBN: NBNSYS0000002710 NCBI: 74828 NZOR: c321d0ab-84ee-4dcf-9705-c864d3077bf0 Observation.org: 7292 Open Tree of Life: 784354 PalDat: Ranunculus_bulbosus PfaF: Ranunculus bulbosus PFI: 1107 Plant List: kew-2524688 PLANTS: RABU POWO: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:712367-1 RHS: 14345 Tropicos: 27100144 VASCAN: 8504 WFO: wfo-0000461562

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ranunculus bulbosus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranunculus_bulbosus) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranunculus_bulbosus?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.