Ranunculus acris
Ranunculus acris

f25 @ 1/125s, ISO:1250, Nikon D3S w 60mm macro


"Common Buttercup," Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Ranunculus acris is a species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, and is one of the more common buttercups across Europe and temperate Eurasia. Common names include meadow buttercup, tall buttercup, common buttercup and giant buttercup. This species is variable in appearance across the world. It is a somewhat hairy plant that has ascending, ungrooved flowing stems bearing glossy yellow flowers about 25 mm across. There are five overlapping petals borne above five green sepals that soon turn yellow as the flower matures. It has numerous stamens inserted below the ovary. The leaves are compound, with three lobed leaflets. The plant is an introduced species across much of the world. It is a naturalized species and often a weed in parts of North America, but it is probably native in Alaska and Greenland. In New Zealand it is a serious pasture weed costing the dairy industry hundreds of millions of dollars. It has become one of the few pasture weeds that has developed a resistance to herbicides.
Mass Audubon's Ashumet Holly Wildlife Sanctuary, East Falmouth, Massachusetts
 
05/21/2015