''Ranunculus biternatus'', the Antarctic buttercup, is a plant in the buttercup family

Ranunculaceae Ranunculaceae (buttercup or crowfoot family; Latin "little frog", from "frog") is a family of over 2,000 known species of flowering plants in 43 genera, distributed worldwide. The largest genera are ''Ranunculus'' (600 species), ''Delphinium' ...

. It is native to southern South America and some subantarctic islands.

Description

''Ranunculus biternatus'' grows as a

forb A forb or phorb is an herbaceous flowering plant that is not a graminoid (grass, sedge, or rush). The term is used in biology and in vegetation ecology, especially in relation to grasslands and understory. Typically these are dicots without woo ...

. The leaves are mid to dark green, with at least three leaflets, each up to across. The flowers are yellow. The red or purple fruits resemble raspberries and are edible.

Distribution and habitat

''Ranunculus biternatus'' is native to

Patagonia Patagonia () refers to a geographical region that encompasses the southern end of South America, governed by Argentina and Chile. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes Mountains with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and gl ...

, the

Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands (; es, Islas Malvinas, link=no ) is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and about from Cape Dubouzet ...

and a number of subantarctic islands. The species is common in or near wet areas such as bogs, pools and streams, from sea level to altitude.

References

biternatus Flora of southern Chile Flora of South Argentina Flora of the subantarctic islands Plants described in 1815 Taxa named by James Edward Smith {{ranunculales-stub