The Florist's Ranunculus

• One of the most popular ranunculus family members is Ranunculus asiaticus, sometimes known as the florist's or Persian buttercup.The species is native to southeastern Europe and Asia and bears single flowers in the wild. Hybridizers have produced large, brightly colored varieties with double flowers.
  
  

Lesser Celandine

• Another common ranunculus is the lesser celandine (Ranunculus ficaria). Many people believe these low-growing plants that feature eight to 12 golden-yellow petals are North American wildflowers. The tuberous rooted plants are actually native to Europe and western Asia.
  
  

Butter Daisies

• Ranunculus repens, sometimes known as butter daisy or creeping buttercup, ambles along the ground, spreading by means of stoloniferous roots. Each yellow flower has five petals and the hairy leaves are dissected into toothed segments. The cultivated variety, Pleniflorus, features double petals. The plant is Eurasian in origin, but has naturalized in North America.