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Taxon  Report  
Ranunculus californicus  Benth.
California buttercup
Ranunculus californicus is a perennial herb that is native to California, and also found elsewhere in western North America.
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
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Bloom Period
Subspecies and Varieties:
Genus: Ranunculus
Family: Ranunculaceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Toxicity: Do not eat any part of this plant.

Wetlands:
Arid West: Occurs usually in non wetlands, occasionally in wetlands
Mountains, Valleys and Coast: Equally likely to occur in wetlands and non wetlands

Habitat: meadows, slopes

Communities: Northern Coastal Scrub, Yellow Pine Forest, Red Fir Forest, Mixed Evergreen Forest, Northern Oak Woodland, Foothill Woodland, Valley Grassland, wetland-riparian

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + PLANTS + POWO
Alternate Names:
PLANTSRanunculus californicus var. austromontanus
PLANTSRanunculus californicus var. gratus
PLANTSRanunculus californicus var. rugulosus
PLANTSRanunculus californicus var. typicus
PLANTSRanunculus rugulosus
Information about  Ranunculus californicus from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
This plant is available commercially.
Jepson eFlora

USDA PLANTS Profile (RACA2)

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: 07/11/2025).