Ranunculus californicus var. cuneatus
Common buttercup
(c) Jeff Harter, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Jeff Harter · licence
Family: Ranunculaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Ranunculus californicus var. cuneatus (Common buttercup) is a native California perennial in the Ranunculaceae family, recognized by prostrate habit and coastal distribution.
Common buttercup is a California native perennial found in northern Coast, central Coast, and northern Channel Islands bioregions along coastal bluffs and hillsides at elevations below 200 meters. Flowering from January to April, this plant produces yellow flowers with rounded petals and delicate appearance. Growing with prostrate stems that are strigose (covered in short, stiff hairs), it spreads low across the ground. Its leaves are 4 to 5 centimeters long with segments that are either undivided or slightly lobed, featuring elliptic to round ultimate segments with toothed or crenate edges. The fruit is small, with a body approximately 2 millimeters long and slightly narrower than its length.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 25 sympatric species; prostrate habit and coastal distribution
Habitat and range
Habitat: Coastal bluffs, hillsides
Elevation: < 200 m
California counties: Sonoma, San Mateo, San Luis Obispo, San Francisco, Mendocino, Monterey, Marin, Santa Barbara, Del Norte, Humboldt, Santa Cruz
Outside California: Oregon
Bloom period
Ranunculus californicus var. cuneatus blooms Jan-Apr.
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. cuneatus native to California?
Yes. Ranunculus californicus var. cuneatus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Ranunculus californicus var. cuneatus bloom?
Ranunculus californicus var. cuneatus blooms Jan-Apr.
Where in California does Ranunculus californicus var. cuneatus grow?
Ranunculus californicus var. cuneatus occurs in Sonoma, San Mateo, San Luis Obispo, San Francisco, Mendocino, Monterey, Marin, Santa Barbara and other counties, at elevations of < 200 m.
What plant family does Ranunculus californicus var. cuneatus belong to?
Ranunculus californicus var. cuneatus is in the Ranunculaceae family, genus Ranunculus.
What habitat does Ranunculus californicus var. cuneatus grow in?
Ranunculus californicus var. cuneatus grows in Coastal bluffs, hillsides.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Ranunculus canus — Great valley buttercup
- Ranunculus canus var. canus — Hartweg's buttercup
- Ranunculus canus var. ludovicianus — Hartweg's buttercup
- Ranunculus cymbalaria — Alkali buttercup
- Ranunculus eschscholtzii — Eschscholtz's buttercup
- Ranunculus eschscholtzii var. eschscholtzii — Eschscholtz's buttercup
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.