Ranunculus californicus var. californicus
Common buttercup
(c) Jeff Harter, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Jeff Harter · licence
Family: Ranunculaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Ranunculus californicus var. californicus (Common buttercup) is a native California perennial in the Ranunculaceae family, recognized by many petals and reflexed sepals distinctive.
Common buttercup is a California native perennial found in northwestern California, Sierra Nevada foothills, Great Valley, central western, and southwestern regions in grassland and open woodland habitats at elevations below 2,000 meters. Flowering from March to August, this plant produces bright yellow flowers with distinctive rounded petals. Growing with erect to decumbent stems that can be glabrous or spread with delicate hairs, it reaches heights of 20 to 40 centimeters. Its leaves are complex, typically 2.8 to 5.8 centimeters long and 4 to 6 centimeters wide, with segments that may be undivided or partially lobed, featuring ultimate segments that are oblong-elliptic to lanceolate with acute or rounded-acute tips. The fruit is small, with a body measuring 1.8 to 3.2 millimeters long and 1.4 to 2.4 millimeters wide.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 49 sympatric species; many petals and reflexed sepals distinctive
Habitat and range
Habitat: Grassland, open woodland
Elevation: < 2000 m
California counties: San Luis Obispo, Contra Costa, Santa Barbara, Monterey, Riverside, Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Madera, San Mateo, Sonoma, Santa Clara, Alameda, San Benito, Amador, Humboldt, Kern, Mendocino, Merced, Santa Cruz, Marin, Fresno, Stanislaus, Mariposa, Napa, San Francisco, Kings, San Bernardino, Ventura, Tuolumne, Sacramento, Butte, Sutter, Tulare, San Joaquin, Modoc, Colusa, Yolo, Shasta, Del Norte, Trinity
Outside California: to British Columbia
Bloom period
Ranunculus californicus var. californicus blooms Mar-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Lasthenia: Ranunculus has separate petals around a central disk; Lasthenia has many tiny ray flowers around a disk (composite head).; vs Bowlesia: Ranunculus has glossy yellow petals in conspicuous flowers; Bowlesia has tiny white flowers in umbels with divided leaves.; vs Potentilla: Ranunculus has nectaries at petal bases and many pistils; Potentilla has no nectaries and styles attached to ovary sides.; vs Papaver: Ranunculus has 5 petals and many pistils; Papaver has 4 crinkled petals and a single large stigma disk.; vs Oxalis: Ranunculus has glossy separate petals; Oxalis has clover-like leaves and tubular flowers that close at night.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ranunculus californicus var. californicus native to California?
Yes. Ranunculus californicus var. californicus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Ranunculus californicus var. californicus bloom?
Ranunculus californicus var. californicus blooms Mar-Aug.
Where in California does Ranunculus californicus var. californicus grow?
Ranunculus californicus var. californicus occurs in San Luis Obispo, Contra Costa, Santa Barbara, Monterey, Riverside, Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego and other counties, at elevations of < 2000 m.
What plant family does Ranunculus californicus var. californicus belong to?
Ranunculus californicus var. californicus is in the Ranunculaceae family, genus Ranunculus.
What habitat does Ranunculus californicus var. californicus grow in?
Ranunculus californicus var. californicus grows in Grassland, open woodland.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.