Appearance
"Ranunculus sceleratus" is an annual herb growing up to half a meter tall. The leaves are more or less glabrous and have small blades each deeply lobed or divided into three leaflets. They are borne on long petioles. The flowers are 5-10mm across with five or fewer yellow petals a few millimeters long and reflexed sepals.While buttercups are toxic due to the presence of the substance protoanemonin, this applies in particular for the cursed buttercup: it is the most toxic buttercup and contains 2.5% protoanemonin. When the leaves are wrinkled, damaged or crushed, they bring out unsightly sores and blisters on human skin.
Distribution
"Ranunculus sceleratus" has a circumpolar distribution in the northern hemisphere There are two varieties and one subspecies with distinctive distributions: "R. sceleratus" ssp. "reptabundus" occurs in northern Finland and north-west Russia. "R. scleratus" var. "multifidus" occurs in north western North America. and "R. scleratus" var. "longissimus" is found from Minnesota to Alabama according to their biodiversity and plant atlases respectively.References:
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