Ranunculus scleratus

L.

Buttercup, Celery-leaved buttercup

RanunculaceaeLeavesRootsPotential hazards — see below
Caution — Parts of this plant may be toxic or require specific preparation. Verify with multiple sources before consuming.
Ranunculus scleratus
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Laura Shappell, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Ranunculus scleratus
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Laura Shappell, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Ranunculus scleratus
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Susan J. Hewitt, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

What to Eat

Edible parts: Leaves, Caution, Roots

Young tender leaves are boiled and cooked as a vegetable with water changes, or dried, pickled, or fermented as a green vegetable. The rootstock is boiled with rice and eaten. Used as a famine food; leaves are sold in local markets.

Known Hazards

Leaves are acrid and poisonous unless treated by boiling and cooking with water changes.

Where to Find It

It is a temperate plant. It grows in wet and marshy places. In Nepal it grows to about 2500 m altitude. Tasmania Herbarium.

Africa, Asia, Australia, Bhutan, Britain, Canada, Caucasus, Central Asia, China, East Africa, Europe, Falklands, Georgia, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Iraq, Japan, Korea, Laos, Mediterranean, Middle East, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, North America, Northeastern India, Pakistan, SE Asia, Siberia, Spain, Tajikistan, Tasmania, Turkey, Türkiye, USA, Vietnam, Wallachia, Zimbabwe,

Countries: Andorra, United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Antigua & Barbuda, Albania, Armenia, Angola, Austria, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Barbados, Bangladesh, Belgium, Burkina Faso, Bulgaria, Bahrain, Burundi, Benin, Brunei, Bahamas, Bhutan, Botswana, Belarus, Belize, Canada, Congo (DRC), Central African Republic, Congo (Republic), Switzerland, Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cape Verde, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Djibouti, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Algeria, Estonia, Egypt, Eritrea, Spain, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, United Kingdom, Grenada, Georgia, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Croatia, Haiti, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Iceland, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Japan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, Comoros, St Kitts & Nevis, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, St Lucia, Liechtenstein, Sri Lanka, Liberia, Lesotho, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Libya, Morocco, Monaco, Moldova, Montenegro, Madagascar, North Macedonia, Mali, Myanmar, Mongolia, Mauritania, Malta, Mauritius, Maldives, Malawi, Mexico, Malaysia, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Nicaragua, Netherlands, Norway, Nepal, Oman, Panama, Philippines, Pakistan, Poland, Puerto Rico, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Serbia, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sudan, Sweden, Singapore, Slovenia, Slovakia, Sierra Leone, San Marino, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sao Tome & Principe, El Salvador, Syria, Eswatini, Chad, Togo, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Trinidad & Tobago, Taiwan, Tanzania, Ukraine, Uganda, United States, Uzbekistan, St Vincent, Vietnam, Yemen, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How to Identify

An annual herb. It is 20-70 cm high. The leaves vary in shape. The leaves near the base are stalked. They are 1.5-3 cm long by 2.5-4 cm wide. They are kidney shaped and with 3 lobes. The upper leaves are narrowly sword shaped with 3 lobes. The flowers are yellow. The fruit is dry, one seeded and in an oblong head.

How to Grow

Plants are grown from seeds or from root offshoots.

Other Information

Famine food. Leaves are sold in local markets.

Notes

There are about 400 Ranunculus species.

Names & Synonyms

Baia, Bir-mani, Celery-leaved crowfoot, Cursed crowfoot, Dhungre jhar, Jaldhania, Jhal dhania, Maocan satnhan, Mon dhonia, Nagakor, Niakhura, Othukoshi, Ram-pa, Shim, Tanga-ngayoke

Ranunculus umbellatus Roxb. ex Willd.
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