Is anyone familar with Ranuculus (flowering plant)?

The cultivated annual - I think the common name is Persian Buttercup?

Does anyone have any links with more detailed information or a more detailed entry in a horticulture book - specifically pertaining to the toxicity of it.

All I can find is information for wild buttercup, ranunculin (and protoanemonin), and that drying decreases toxicity. Not as much is said about the alkaloids or how cultivated varieties compare - only that certain types of wild butter cup are worse.


I know this seems rather random, I can explain if anyone is interested.

All Ranuculus is toxic if ingested, regardless of the variety and many varieties cause contact dermatitis in humans. Treat them all as toxic to animals and children who stuff oddities in their mouths.

Originally Posted by sk_pacer

All Ranuculus is toxic if ingested, regardless of the variety and many varieties cause contact dermatitis in humans. Treat them all as toxic to animals and children who stuff oddities in their mouths.

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Notice how specific my post was - I know they are all toxic. I'm looking for more detailed information on the cultivated ones that have the rose like look.

let me delve a bit further as my garden book says only where and how to Grow..lol..

Originally Posted by sharky

let me delve a bit further as my garden book says only where and how to Grow..lol..

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If you come across anything before 9am tomorrow, please share. I'm hoping our more green thumb members or Gail would have something stashed in a book somewhere.

I don't know if you could grow them where you live. The fancy ones (like Ranunculus asiaticus?) are perennials in warmer zones that don't get too extreme of heat, and annuals elsewhere. I tried three of them up front last spring and they didn't make it.

In case you may wonder. I had saved one really nice bloom and dried it, then put it in what I thought was a hard to get open (it was for me) small cardboard box which I put up on top of an 8ft book case. ... never underestimate kittens. No vet advice needed, that's taken care of. I'm wanting more detailed info on that plant itself so I can share it with the vet.

lol.. k I wont tell you vet .. I would suggest posion control though as they have write up on things like this...

Yes my book is for the Western US and states I can grow some of this including the species you mentioned

I'm not sure they would have more detailed info for anything other than plain old buttercup - the vet may have already called. Either way he's playing it safe and the kitten got charcoal and a night there. I'm just curious how that one compares.
A lot of cultivated plants are weaker and less hardy than there wild equivalent.
These were definitely a lot less hardy - a waste of money.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Notice how specific my post was - I know they are all toxic. I'm looking for more detailed information on the cultivated ones that have the rose like look.

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Ranuculus, whether domestic cultivars or the wild counterparts, are toxic. Greenhouse workers are encouraged to wear protective clothing (long sleeves and gloves) when transplanting to prevent dermatitis. Ingestion by livestock can cause colic, bloat, excessive salivation, and death and at the least, burns to the mucosa from the caustic properties of the plant. I do realise what you were asking, but the answer is still the same - they are all toxic, regardless of tame or wild.

ahh yes wild vs man messed with ...

I did dig up several lovely ancient books in a search

i had a quick gander on Google and im normally pretty good with it but everything i can find is very vague, i could speak to the FIL but that wouldnt be until tomorrow evening (well tonight as its 2am here lol)

i can only find how to grow them and some random facts but nothing that kind of jumps out but some sites did contridict (sp) each other about how poisoness they are

If you find more out, go ahead and share it.

Everything I'm seeing is the same - ranunculus acris is the worst, the others vary. Apparently some of them are actually used in folk/herbal medicines because of their antimicrobial properties... I knew clematis has a lot of uses and is in the same family.

Anything I find that could have possible details ends up being medical abstracts that just share the title and authors.

I did find an interesting myth/legend about ranuculus asiaticus and that they don't like salt water.

http://www.crescentbloom.com/plants/...0asiaticus.htm

ill see if i can refind the other links

even wikipedia is a bit vague about them

http://www.answers.com/topic/ranunculus

Don't know how detailed you want, but there's lots of info online about poisonous plants in N. America if you google John M. Kingsbury poisonous plants.