Western Buttercup
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Ranunculus occidentalis'', the western buttercup, is a species of buttercup found in the western regions of
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
. Its distribution extends from Alaska through British Columbia and Alberta to central California. The flower can be seen in open meadows, forests, and other generally flat areas up to an elevation of . Aleut first nations may have used juice from the plant as a
poison Poison is a chemical substance that has a detrimental effect to life. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broa ...
,Flora of North America
/ref> its toxicity arising from the substance protoanemonin. Shasta first nations coincided blooming ''Ranunculus occidentalis'' with salmon runs in the summer. The seeds were used to make pinole, a
staple food A staple food, food staple, or simply a staple, is a food that is eaten often and in such quantities that it constitutes a dominant portion of a standard diet for a given person or group of people, supplying a large fraction of energy needs and ...
.Ethnobotany
/ref> This plant is similar to, and sometimes difficult to distinguish from, the California buttercup (''
Ranunculus californicus ''Ranunculus californicus'', commonly known as the California buttercup, is a flowering plant of the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. It is a native of California, where it is common in many habitats, including chaparral and woodlands. Its dist ...
'').


References


External links


Washington Burke MuseumPhoto gallery
occidentalis This list of Latin and Greek words commonly used in systematic names is intended to help those unfamiliar with classical languages to understand and remember the scientific names of organisms. The binomial nomenclature used for animals and plants i ...
Flora of North America Plants described in 1838 {{Ranunculales-stub