| Ranunculus occidentalis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| R. occidentalis in Anacortes, Washington | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Ranunculales |
| Family: | Ranunculaceae |
| Genus: | Ranunculus |
| Species: | R. occidentalis |
| Binomial name | |
| Ranunculus occidentalis | |
Ranunculus occidentalis, the western buttercup,[1] is a species of buttercup found in the western regions of North America. Its distribution extends from Alaska through British Columbia and Alberta to central California.[1] The flower can be seen in open meadows, forests, and other generally flat areas up to an elevation of 2,200 metres (7,200 ft).[2]
Aleut first nations may have used juice from the plant as a poison,[3] its toxicity arising from the substance protoanemonin.[4] Shasta first nations coincided blooming Ranunculus occidentalis with salmon runs in the summer.[5] The seeds were used to make pinole, a staple food.[6]
This plant is similar to, and sometimes difficult to distinguish from, the California buttercup (Ranunculus californicus).
References
- 1 2 USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Ranunculus occidentalis". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ↑ "Jepson Manual Treatment for Ranunculus occidentalis". University of California Berkeley Jepson Treaments. Retrieved 2009-06-05.
- ↑ Flora of North America
- ↑ Bank, Theodore (1953). "Botanical and ethnobotanical studies in the Aleutian Islands - Health and Medical Lore …". Michigan Academy of Science, Arts and Letters: 428.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ↑ Holt, Catharine (1946). "Shasta Ethnography". University of California, Berkeley: 310.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ↑ Ethnobotany
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