Meadow Buttercup | Buttercup family |
Ranunculus acris | Ranunculaceae |
Meadow buttercup is a common flower in meadows.
It has a bright yellow flower, with a slightly burnished appearance caused by light
reflecting from starch grains within the structure of the petals.
The flowers are visited by small bees, hoverflies and other insects.
Slight differences in the time of ripening of stamens and stigmas favour cross-pollination.
Side-on view of flower, showing hairy calyx | Leaf | Achenes |
Technical Information
Perennial herb, 20-100 cm tall Stems tall, erect, branched, round Leaves: deeply cut into 3-5 lobes which divide into narrow toothed segments; hairy Calyx: 5 spreading sepals Flowers: golden-yellow, 5 petals, 18-25mm across Fruit: achenes 2-3.5mm long with a short hooked beak in a globose head Flowering time: April-September Habitat: Grassland, roadsides, ditches Distribution: Very common throughout Britain |