CELERY-LEAVED BUTTERCUP

CURSED CROWFOOT

Ranunculus sceleratus

Buttercup Family [Ranunculaceae]

month8may month8jun month8june month8jul month8july month8aug month8sep month8sept

status
statusZnative
flower
flower8yellow
inner
inner8green
morph
morph8actino
petals
petalsZ5
stem
stem8round
toxicity
toxicityZmedium

31st May 2007, Galloper Pool, Foxfield, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
Grows up to 2 feet tall in marshy or shallowish wet places.


12th May 2010, Chesterfield Canal, Renishaw. Photo: © RWD
Very stout main stem, with side branches at intervals. Glossy leaves.


31st May 2007, Galloper Pool, Foxfield, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
The stalks have single yellow flowers at the tips.


12th May 2010, Chesterfield Canal, Renishaw. Photo: © RWD
Upper stem leaves are commonly three-lobed and narrower than the palmately lobed leaves lower down.


30th May 2009, marshes, Southport, Lancs. Photo: © RWD
Each flower has an elongated fruit in the middle. The stems are hollow.


22nd June 2016, Marshside RSPB Hut, Sefton Coast. Photo: © RWD
The fruit, some of them have already lost half their seeds.


31st May 2007, Galloper Pool, Foxfield, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
Leaves shiny, darkish green with very short hairs. Flowers have five typically buttercup shiny yellow petals.


31st May 2007, Galloper Pool, Foxfield, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
The fruits grow bigger, losing the petals.


31st May 2007, Galloper Pool, Foxfield, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
Fruits have numerous small pimples.


31st May 2007, Galloper Pool, Foxfield, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
Fruit with petals.


30th May 2009, marshes, Southport, Lancs. Photo: © RWD
Upper surface of petals is shiny, underneath matt.


22nd June 2016, Marshside RSPB Hut, Sefton Coast. Photo: © RWD
The seeds are flattish, cream-coloured and nearly circular.


26th Aug 2016, nr. Waterloo, Sefton Coast, Merseyside. Photo: © RWD
A more-ripe and larger seed head a couple of months later in the season containing dozens of tightly-packed seeds in a cylindrical head.


12th May 2010, Chesterfield Canal, Renishaw. Photo: © RWD
Palmately lobed dark-green, shiny lower leaves.


Not to be confused with : Celery-leaved Crowfoot (which also has yellow flowers and belongs to the same Buttercup Family) [plants with similar names],

Some similarities to : other Buttercups

Uniquely identifiable characteristics

Distinguishing Feature : The shiny dark-green leaves and the elongated fruits separate this from other Buttercups. One of only three Buttercup species (Lesser Spearwort, Greater Spearwort and Creeping Buttercup) that loves shallow water or marsh.

No relation to : Wild Celery [a plant with similar name].

Habitat: Likes marshes, shallow fresh water, banks of streams, wet mud, ponds, ditches and similar wet places.

It has an acrid taste and is poisonous, containing Ranunculin which is converted to the poisonous Protoanemonin by the action of enzymes, which it contains and are released on damage. On the skin the sap will cause severe irritation and blisters with ulceration. If eaten, diarrhoea, abdominal pains, tinnitus, headache, dizziness, seizures, tachycardia, nephritis and perhaps death by respiratory and cardiac arrest. Accidental poisoning of cattle is more common.


USE BY BUTTERFLIES
LAYS EGGS ON CATERPILLAR CHRYSALIS BUTTERFLY
Grizzled Skipper



  Ranunculus sceleratus  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Ranunculaceae  

Distribution
 family8Buttercup family8Ranunculaceae
 BSBI maps
genus8Ranunculus
Ranunculus
(Buttercups)

CELERY-LEAVED BUTTERCUP

CURSED CROWFOOT

Ranunculus sceleratus

Buttercup Family [Ranunculaceae]

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