# Smallflower Buttercup (*ranunculus parviflorus*)

The Smallflower Buttercup has bright yellow flowers that can make any field look cheerful! It loves to grow in sunny places and brings joy to many tiny animals.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Meadows, fields, and sunny areas.
- **Also known as:** Small Buttercup

![Smallflower Buttercup](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/120203453/medium.jpg)

Photo: Celeste Ray, CC BY 4.0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/120203453)

## Appearance

The Smallflower Buttercup has tiny, pale yellow flowers with usually five petals, often barely showing from green sepals. Its leaves are deeply lobed, appearing hairy, and grow from a slender stem. Unlike typical buttercups, its flowers are not always bright yellow.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- Its scientific name, 'Ranunculus', means 'little frog' because it loves wet places!
- The 'flower' petals often hide behind green, leaf-like parts, making them hard to spot!
- Unlike bright yellow buttercups, its petals are usually pale cream or dull yellow!
- When dried into hay, its toxic compounds disappear, making it safe for livestock!

## Special abilities

- **Tummy Troubles Shield:** Smallflower Buttercup can produce irritating compounds that make it taste bad to hungry animals.
- **Sticky Seed Adventure:** Its small, hooked seeds can cling to fur or clothes, hitching a ride to new places to grow.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 10-50 cm
- **Spread:** 10-20 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring to early summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **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:** Spanish slug (*Arion vulgaris*) — grazes on young leaves

## Traits

- [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.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

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

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Smallflower 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 Smallflower Buttercup?

10-50 cm

### How wide does Smallflower Buttercup spread?

10-20 cm

### How big are the flowers on Smallflower Buttercup?

0.5-1 cm

### When does Smallflower Buttercup bloom?

Spring to early summer

### Is Smallflower Buttercup edible?

No

### Is Smallflower Buttercup toxic?

Mild

### What is Smallflower Buttercup's lifecycle?

Annual

## Where to spot

- [Collingwood Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/collingwood-park) — Virginia, US · 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: [Smallflower Buttercup: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/smallflower-buttercup)