Ranunculus bulbosus - Bulbous Buttercup

Family:	Ranunculaceae
Habit:	Perennial
Height:	0.3
Width:	1
Synonyms:
Range:	Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to N. Africa and Greece.

Ranunculus bulbosus (Bulbous Buttercup) is a Perennial which grows to a height of 0.3m and a width of 1m . It has a fast growth rate. It has a hardness rating of 0and is vunerable to frost.
Bulbous Buttercup will flower in September to December. The flowers from this plant are hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and they are pollinated by Bees, flies, beetles, lepidoptera

Soil Information

Bulbous Buttercup will grow in light (sandy),medium (loamy),hard (clay) soil. It is not necessary for the soil to be well drained.
The soil prefers the following PH / acid levels :
- pH of less than 6, Acidic soils
- pH between 6 and 8, Neutral soils
- pH greater than 8, Basic soils
Bulbous Buttercup prefers moist soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Bulbous Buttercup can grow in semi or areas with no shade.

Meadows, lawns, dry pastures, grassy slopes and fixed dunes, preferring a calcareous sub-strata[17].

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• Planted in the lawn
• Suits a meadow

Cultivation Details

Prefers a moist loamy soil[1]. A common weed of lawns and gardens, it can be very difficult to eradicate when established[4]. It is a polymorphic species[17] and there is at least one named variety which has been selected for its ornamental value[187]. A greedy plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants, especially legumes[54].

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 1/5
Leaves - cooked. A famine food used when all else fails[177], and I would rather give it a miss even then[K]! Root - must be dried beforehand and thoroughly cooked[105, 183]. When boiled, the roots are said to become so mild as to be eatable[2], though personally, I would rather give this one a miss as well[K]. See the notes above on toxicity.

• Leaves -
• Root - includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 2/5
The whole plant, and especially the sap, is acrid, anodyne, antispasmodic, diaphoretic, rubefacient[4, 21]. It was at one time rubbed on the skin by beggars in order to produce open sores and thereby excite sympathy[4]. The root has been placed in a tooth cavity to act as a painkiller[257]. A decoction of the plant has been used in the treatment of VD[257]. Use this remedy with caution, see the notes above on toxicity[21].

• Acrid - Causes heat and irritation when applied to the skin.
• Anodyne - Relieves pain, it is milder than an analgesic.
• Antispasmodic - Relaxes muscular spasms and cramps, calming nervous irritation.
• Diaphoretic - Induces perspiration.
• Rubefacient - A counter-irritant and external stimulant, it produces inflammation and redness of the skin.
• VD - Used in the treatment of venereal disease

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. This species is a common weed and doesn't really need any help from us. Division in spring. Very easy, though probably totally unnecessary, larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions.

Known Hazards

All parts of the plant are poisonous, the toxins can be destroyed by heat or by drying[4, 10, 13, 19, 62, 65]. The plant has a strongly acrid juice that can cause blistering to the skin[65, 183].

Other Uses

None known

Cultivars

'' - There are some named forms for this species, but these have been developed for their ornamental value and not for their other uses. Unless you particularly require the special characteristics of any of these cultivars, we would generally recommend that you grow the natural species for its useful properties. We have, therefore, not listed the cultivars in this database[K].

References

Flora of the British Isles.
Clapham, Tootin and Warburg.
Author: Clapham, Tootin and Warburg.
Rating:
Publisher : A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
Date of Publication : 1962

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