Tall Buttercup
Family: Ranunculacae
Ranunculus acris     [under construction 2-05]
Seedling     Sprout     Cotyledon Stage     Leaf     Plant

Plant
Flower
Photos from USDA Government http://www.deq.state.mi.us/lwm/grt_lakes/plantinformati/Ranacr.htm
Bio-control     Chemical control     Cultural control    
Habitat:  Damp open fields, low ground, meadows, and some cultivated fields or pastures.

Seeds:  The plant produces many seeds that are dark brown and are about 2cm long.  The seeds have a rounded head, with a hooked beak, and are pitted, and flattened. These usually have a spiny face.

Leaves/Stems:   The leaves on this plant are true leaves.  They are long-stalked and alternate.  They are also soft and have hair on both sides of the leaf.  They have 5 lobes on the leaf and are palmately divided into small segments.  The stems are erect and stand about 30cm to 1 meter tall.  This stem branches into about 5 to 7 different parts and is quite hairy.

Roots:  The roots are a coarse fibrous root.

Flowers:  This plant has yellow flowers with 3 to 5 overlapping petals. They are 1 inch or more in diameter.

Note:  This plant is poisonous if grazed by any animal but it is not harmful if dried in hay.

Links:
  1. http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/livestocksystems/components/5655_13.html     Communication and Educational Technology Services, University of Minnesota Extension Service
  2. http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weedguide/singlerecord.asp?id=320     John Cardina, Cathy Herms, Tim Koch, Ted Webster
  3. http://www.mslacountyweed.org/pages/RAAC.html     MISSOULA COUNTY WEED DISTRICT
  4. http://www.mtweed.org/Identification/buttercup/buttercup.html     Montana Weed Control Association
  5. http://www.ag.uiuc.edu/~vista/html_pubs/WEEDS/83.html  Weeds of the North Central States
  6. http://hortiplex.gardenweb.com/plants/p1/gw1033918.html
  7. http://www.weedresearch.com/Case/Case.asp?ResistID=159  WeedScience.org
  8. http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/galleries/ranunculusacri.html     Connecticut Botanical Society
  9. http://www.strathcona.ab.ca/Strathcona/Departments/Environmental+Operations/Weeds/Tall+buttercup+-+control.htm       Strathcona County
  10. http://plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/topics.cgi?earl=plant_profile.cgi&symbol=RAAC3     U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Bibliography:
1. Weeds of the North Central States, [online] available.
http://www.ag.uiuc.edu/~vista/html_pubs/WEEDS/83.html , Jan. 2001.

2. USDA Government, [online] available.
http://www.deq.state.mi.us/lwm/grt_lakes/plantinformati/Ranacr.htm , 01/08/01.

3. Medicinal Herbs Online, [online] available.
http://www.egregore.com/herbs/buttercup.html , Jan. 2001.

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By: B.W.    1/15/01.   Updated by: R. Ricker 2-05