Practical
Plants

Ranunculus occidentalis

Western Buttercup

a perennial member of the Ranunculus genus in the family Ranunculaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.6 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The juice from the flowers was used as a poison by native North American Indians[9]. Thse toxins are likely to be present in all parts of the plant and can be destroyed by heat or by drying[10][2][4][7][12][13]. Many if not all plants in this genus also have a strongly acrid juice that can cause blistering to the skin[13][6].

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - cooked[8][9]. Used as piñole either on its own or mixed with other seeds[8]. The seed must be parched in order to remove an acrid principle[3][5].

Plant part
Seed

Environment

Range
South-western N. America - British Columbia to California and Nevada.
Habitat
Vernally moist ground, 100 - 1800 metres[14]. Grassy slopes of meadows or open woodlands from sea level to 1500 metres[9].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. Division in spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors at least in the milder areas of the country. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Prefers a moist loamy soil[1]. A greedy plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants, especially legumes[11].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. Altmann. H. Poisonous Plants and Animals. Chatto and Windus 1980-00-00 ISBN 0-7011-2526-8

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  3. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

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  4. Triska. Dr. Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-600-33545-3

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  5. Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.

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  6. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

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  7. Stary. F. Poisonous Plants. Hamlyn 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-600-35666-3

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  8. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2

  9. Flora of N. America http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/

    ↩1↩2↩3

  10. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

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  11. Hatfield. A. W. How to Enjoy your Weeds. Frederick Muller Ltd 1977-00-00 ISBN 0-584-10141-4

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  12. Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold 1982-00-00 ISBN 0442222009

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  13. Frohne. D. and Pf�nder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Wolfe 1984-00-00 ISBN 0723408394

    ↩1↩2

  14. Munz. A California Flora. University of California Press 1959-00-00

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