logo Calflora, a 501c3 non-profit
Taxon  Report  
Ranunculus aquatilis  L.  var. aquatilis 
White water butter cup
Ranunculus aquatilis var. aquatilis is a perennial herb (aquatic) that is native to California.
also called Ranunculus aquatilis var. hispidulus
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
DJJJASONAFMM

Bloom Period
Parent: Ranunculus aquatilis
Genus: Ranunculus
Family: Ranunculaceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Toxicity: Do not eat any part of this plant.

Wetlands: Occurs in wetlands

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF
Alternate Names:
JEFRanunculus aquatilis var. hispidulus
Information about  Ranunculus aquatilis var. aquatilis from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
Commercial availability unknown.
Jepson eFlora

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net

Ranunculus: from the Latin rana, "little frog," because many species tend to grow in moist places

Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2025. The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 07/10/2025).