# Rough-fruited buttercup (*Ranunculus muricatus*)

The Rough-fruited buttercup is a bright yellow flower that grows in fields and meadows. Its unique, bumpy fruits make it special and fun to spot in nature!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 2/5 · Low
- **Habitat:** Grasslands

![Rough-fruited buttercup](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Ranunculus_muricatus_DSC00937_%283300281211%29.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Xavier Béjar, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ranunculus_muricatus_DSC00937_%283300281211%29.jpg)

## Appearance

The Rough-fruited buttercup has small, bright yellow, glossy flowers, each with five petals and a green center. Its stems can be smooth or slightly hairy. The most distinctive feature is its round cluster of rough, spiky green fruits.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Ranunculales
- **Family:** Ranunculaceae
- **Genus:** Ranunculus

## Interesting facts

- Despite its beauty, eating this plant can make animals very sick!
- It loves wet places, growing happily in ditches and damp meadows!
- Its name 'muricatus' means 'prickly,' just like its bumpy fruits!
- This buttercup's shiny petals are so glossy they can reflect sunlight!

## Special abilities

- **Spiky Seed Hitchhiker:** Rough-fruited buttercup has spiky fruits that can attach to animal fur for wider seed dispersal.
- **Sun-Reflecting Petals:** This buttercup has shiny petals that reflect sunlight, attracting pollinators and potentially warming its reproductive parts.
- **Toxic Shield:** The Rough-fruited buttercup produces compounds that make it unappetizing or harmful, deterring most herbivores.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 10-50 cm
- **Spread:** 10-30 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring to early summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Moderate
- **Lifecycle:** Annual
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Collects nectar and pollen
- **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — Visits flowers for nectar
- **Eats:** Grey field slug (*Deroceras reticulatum*) — Feeds on leaves and stems

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth.
- [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 2/5 · Low

Do not eat any part of this flower, as some plants can be harmful.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Rough-fruited buttercup?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Rough-fruited buttercup?

10-50 cm

### How wide does Rough-fruited buttercup spread?

10-30 cm

### How big are the flowers on Rough-fruited buttercup?

1-2 cm

### When does Rough-fruited buttercup bloom?

Spring to early summer

### Is Rough-fruited buttercup edible?

No

### Is Rough-fruited buttercup toxic?

Moderate

### What is Rough-fruited buttercup's lifecycle?

Annual

## Where to spot

- [Railtown 1897 State Historic Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/railtown-1897-state-historic-park) — California, US · State Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Rough-fruited buttercup: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rough-fruited-buttercup)