Corn Buttercup

Ranunculus arvensis

Weed Description
Erect winter annual, 6 to 24 inches tall with yellow flowers. Found primarily in the piedmonts of Virginia, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kentucky.

Seedlings
Cotyledons have petioles. Leaves egg-shaped in outline, with the broadest end occurring at the apex, and having toothed margins.

Leaves
Leaves consist of both basal and stem leaves (cauline). Basal leaves are on long petioles, spatulate in outline with toothed margins. Stem leaves are dissected into 3-parted linear segments that are approximately 1 1/4 inches in length and 5 mm in width, without petioles, without hairs to sparsely roughly hairy.

Stems
Erect, branching.

Flowers
Yellow in color, 5 sepals 3-5 mm long, and 5 petals 4-6.5 mm long.

Fruit
An achene, 6-8 mm long, 4-5 mm wide, covered with up to 3 mm long spines.

Identifying Characteristics
The distinctive buttercup flowers and spatulate basal leaves with linear stem leaves are all characteristics that help to distinguish corn buttercup from most other similar weeds. Several different buttercup species are common, like Bulbous Buttercup (Ranunculus bulbosus), but this weed has a thickened bulbous base and does not have linear stem leaves like those of corn buttercup.

Trouble identifying a weed?

For additional assistance identifying weeds, contact Dr. Kevin Braldly, State Extension Weed Scientist (bradleyke@missouri.edu).

Office of Programs

University of Missouri

Corn Buttercup

Ranunculus arvensis

Trouble identifying a weed?