Common Buttercup vs Wild Buttercup

Ranunculus acris compared with Ranunculus multifidus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Buttercup	Wild Buttercup
Kingdom same	Plantae (planta)	Plantae (planta)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order same	Ranunculales (Ranunculales)	Ranunculales (Ranunculales)
Family same	Ranunculaceae	Ranunculaceae
Genus same	Ranunculus	Ranunculus
Species	Ranunculus acris	Ranunculus multifidus

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Buttercup and Wild Buttercup share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Ranunculus.

Conservation Status

Common Buttercup

LC — Least Concern

Wild Buttercup

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Buttercup	Wild Buttercup
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Buttercup

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Japan), Europe (10 countries), North America (Canada, United States), and Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, New Zealand).

Wild Buttercup

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found in United States.

Common Buttercup

<em>Ranunculus acris</em>, commonly known as the common buttercup, is a widely distributed plant species found across Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceania. It typically thrives in diverse terrestrial habitats, often colonizing meadows, pastures, roadsides, and disturbed ground with moist, well-drained soils. The species is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, reflecting its broad range and generally stable populations. Common buttercup belongs to the genus <em>Ranunculus</em> within the family Ranunculaceae. It is a perennial herbaceous plant that typically produces distinctive bright yellow, glossy petals and is commonly associated with temperate grassland ecosystems. The species is known to contain toxic alkaloids, making it generally unpalatable to livestock when fresh, though it loses toxicity upon drying. Biological traits such as average lifespan, plant height, and mass of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature. Its cosmopolitan distribution across multiple continents underscores its ecological versatility and its ability to colonize a wide variety of environments.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇺🇸 United States