Ranunculus cymbalaria
Alkali buttercup
(c) Frank Dietze, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Ranunculaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Ranunculus cymbalaria (Alkali buttercup) is a native California herb in the Ranunculaceae family, recognized by simple undivided leaves and stolons diagnostic.
Alkali buttercup is a California native perennial found in northern California, Sierra Nevada, southwestern California, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert regions in muddy, brackish or alkaline places at elevations up to 3,200 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces white to yellow flowers with five petals 2 to 7 millimeters long. Growing with horizontal stolons and erect stems 3 to 20 centimeters tall, it spreads across wet ground with distinctive creeping habit. Its basal leaves are oblong to rounded, 0.7 to 3.8 centimeters long, with crenate or crenate-serrate edges and a rounded base. The fruit develops as a small lenticular body with longitudinal ribs and a tiny persistent beak.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 46 sympatric species; simple undivided leaves and stolons diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Muddy places, generally brackish or alkaline
Elevation: < 3200 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, Modoc, Inyo, Mono, Lassen, San Luis Obispo, Tulare, Alpine, Ventura, San Diego, Plumas, Sierra, Tuolumne, Fresno, Santa Barbara
Outside California: to Alaska, Newfoundland, South America, Eurasia
Bloom period
Ranunculus cymbalaria blooms May-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 cymbalaria native to California?
Yes. Ranunculus cymbalaria is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Ranunculus cymbalaria bloom?
Ranunculus cymbalaria blooms May-Aug.
Where in California does Ranunculus cymbalaria grow?
Ranunculus cymbalaria occurs in San Bernardino, Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, Modoc, Inyo, Mono, Lassen and other counties, at elevations of < 3200 m.
What plant family does Ranunculus cymbalaria belong to?
Ranunculus cymbalaria is in the Ranunculaceae family, genus Ranunculus.
What habitat does Ranunculus cymbalaria grow in?
Ranunculus cymbalaria grows in Muddy places, generally brackish or alkaline.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Ranunculus eschscholtzii — Eschscholtz's buttercup
- Ranunculus eschscholtzii var. eschscholtzii — Eschscholtz's buttercup
- Ranunculus eschscholtzii var. oxynotus — Eschscholtz's buttercup
- Ranunculus eschscholtzii var. suksdorfii — Suksdorf's buttercup
- Ranunculus flabellaris — Yellow water buttercup
- Ranunculus flammula — Creeping buttercup
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.