Creeping buttercup, Butter daisy, Creeping crowfoot, Yellow gowan
Ranunculus repens
Family: Ranunculaceae
What it is like
A small herb which keeps growing from year to year. It grows 10-60 cm high. It has creeping runners or stolons. These form roots at the nodes. The leaf is made up of 3 leaflets. These are triangle shaped and 2-13 cm long. The leaflets are usually divided into 3 lobes. These have teeth along the edge. The flowers are yellow. They are 2-3 cm across. The petals are smooth and shiny. There are 5 petals and 5 spreading and hairy sepals. The fruit are dry and 2-3 mm long. The edges have ridges.
There are about 400 Ranunculus species.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. It grows in damp soil. In Argentina it grows from sea level to 2,000 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zones 3-9. Tasmania Herbarium.
Countries/locations it is found in
Argentina, Armenia, Asia, Australia, Brazil, Britain, Caucasus, Central Asia, Chile, Europe, Falklands, Georgia, Italy, Korea, Luxembourg, Mediterranean, Mongolia, Slovenia, South America, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tasmania
How it is used for food
Edible parts
Leaves, root
How it is grown
Its other names
Local names
Niakhura, Plazeča zlatica