Persian buttercup

Ranunculus asiaticus

"Ranunculus asiaticus", the Persian buttercup, is a species of buttercup native to the eastern Mediterranean region in southwestern Asia, southeastern Europe, and northeastern Africa.
Ranunculus asiaticus  Geotagged,Israel,Persian buttercup,Ranunculus asiaticus,Winter

Appearance

It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 45 cm tall, with simple or branched stems. The basal leaves are three-lobed, with leaves higher on the stems more deeply divided; like the stems, they are downy or hairy. The flowers are 3–5 cm diameter, variably red to pink, yellow, or white, with one to several flowers on each stem.
Ranunculus asiaticus A common E Mediterranean perennial. Judean Desert, Cfar Adumim area Geotagged,Persian buttercup,Ranunculus asiaticus,Winter

Status

It is a protected plant in some jurisdictions, including Israel.
color variety Ranunculus asiaticus in South-East Europe is usually white to pink. in Israel - it is normally red. but sometimes among the reds you can find oranges and yellows... like this time :-)  Geotagged,Israel,Persian buttercup,Ranunculus asiaticus,Spring

Uses

It is a popular ornamental plant in gardens, and widely used in floristry. Numerous cultivars have been selected, including 'Bloomingdale', 'Picotee', 'Pot Dwarf', and 'Superbissima'. The plants can tolerate light frost, but are not hardy at temperatures below -10 °C.

Some strains such as 'Tecolote' and 'Bloomingdale' produce double flowers.

References:

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Taxonomy
KingdomPlantae
DivisionAngiosperms
ClassEudicots
OrderRanunculales
FamilyRanunculaceae
GenusRanunculus
SpeciesR. asiaticus