Creeping Buttercup

(Ranunculus repens)

 

   

 

Color Photograph: Copyright Nearctica.com, Inc.

Line Drawing: Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada, Second Edition.

 

Creeping Buttercup (Ranunculus repens L.)

Alien: Native of Europe.

Identification: Flowers yellow with (most commonly) 5 waxy petals. Plants connected by runners which send up leafy shoots. Leaves divided into three major segments, roughly heart-shaped as a whole. Leaves with pale patches. Plant 1 to 3 feet in height.

Distribution: Throughout most of North America.

Habitat: Creeping Buttercup is found in roadsides, lawns, and vacant lots.

Flowering period: May to August.

Similar Species: The combination of creeping runners, large flowers, and pale patches on the leaves will separate Creeping Buttercup from other species of the genus.

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