Bulbous buttercup
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| Ranunculus bolbosus L. |
Bulbous Butturcup, (Ranunculus bulbosus) is a perennial weed of the Buttercup Family. It has attractive yellow flowers, and deeply divided, three-lobed long-petioled basal leaves. Bulbous buttercup is known to form tufts.
The stems are 20-60 cm tall, erect, branching, and slightly hairy flowering [1]. There are alternate and sessile leaves on the stem. The flower forms at the apex of the stems, and is shiny and yellow with 5-7 petals [1]. The flowers are 1.5-3 cm wide. The plant blooms from April to July.
Bulbous buttercup gets its name from its distinctive root structure: a bulblike corm. The presence or absence of the corm is the easiest way to tell if a specimen is Ranunculus bulbosus or some other type of buttercup.
[edit] Cultivation and uses
Bulbous buttercup grows in lawns, pastures and fields in general. Although it doesn't generally grow in proper crops, it is often found in hay fields [2]. It grows throughout North America.
Buttercups contain poisons, and are avoided by livestock. Note however that the poisons of buttercup are lost upon drying, so any hay containing bulbous buttercup is safe for animal consumption [1].
[edit] References
- 1) Richard H. Uva, Joseph C. Neal and Joseph M. Ditomaso, Weeds of The Northeast, (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1997), Pp. 294-295.
- 2) Bulbous Buttercup: Ranunculus bulbosus
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