Herb: Western Buttercup


Latin name: Ranunculus occidentalis


Synonyms: Ranunculus eisenii, Ranunculus occidentalis eisenii


Family: Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family)



Edible parts of Western Buttercup:

Seed - cooked. Used as piäole either on its own or mixed with other seeds. The seed must be parched in order to remove an acrid principle.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
60 cm
(2 feet)

Flowering:
May to
July

Habitat of the herb:

Vernally moist ground, 100 - 1800 metres. Grassy slopes of meadows or open woodlands from sea level to 1500 metres.

Propagation of Western Buttercup:

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 of the herb:

Vernally moist ground, 100 - 1800 metres. Grassy slopes of meadows or open woodlands from sea level to 1500 metres.

Medicinal use of Western Buttercup:

None known

Known hazards of Ranunculus occidentalis:

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

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.