Corn Buttercup
Ranunculus arvensis
Ranunculus arvensis, the corn buttercup or field buttercup, is a plant species in the family Ranunculaceae. Native to Europe, it can be found on other continents as an introduced species and sometimes a weed, including in North America and Australia.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranunculus_arvensis
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Order
Ranunculales
Family
Ranunculaceae
Genus
Ranunculus
Corn Buttercup belongs to the family Ranunculaceae, order Ranunculales, within the Magnoliopsida class.
Species Profile
Ranunculus arvensis, the corn buttercup or field buttercup, is a plant species in the family Ranunculaceae. Native to Europe, it can be found on other continents as an introduced species and sometimes a weed, including in North America and Australia. It was formerly a common annual arable weed in Britain, but is now rare there. It is most often found in moist places, such as spring puddles in meadows.
Corn Buttercup (Ranunculus arvensis) has declined dramatically due to agricultural intensification and modern farming practices that have eliminated its traditional arable habitat. The species was historically associated with cereal crops but has been virtually eliminated by herbicide use, improved seed cleaning, and changes in cultivation methods that favor more competitive crop varieties.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
Corn Buttercup (Ranunculus arvensis) has declined dramatically due to agricultural intensification and modern farming practices that have eliminated its traditional arable habitat. The species was historically associated with cereal crops but has been virtually eliminated by herbicide use, improved seed cleaning, and changes in cultivation methods that favor more competitive crop varieties.
Agricultural intensification and mechanization
Herbicide application in agricultural systems
Improved seed cleaning eliminating seed contamination
Loss of traditional extensive farming practices
Habitat fragmentation of remaining arable land
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Corn Buttercup (Ranunculus arvensis). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/corn-buttercup