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BUTTERCUP
(Ranunculus acris)
tall field buttercup, bachelor's buttons, blisterweed, gold cup,
meadow crowfoot
Description:
Erect annual or perennial, 2-3 ft. Deep green leaves palmately
divided into 5-7 stalkless, lance-shaped, toothed segments. Flowers,
shiny, golden yellow inside, lighter outside. Fruits flat, smooth
with distinct margins. Eastern, central U.S in moist fields. meadows.
Weedy looking in a wild state, double-flowered in cultivated gardens
POISONOUS:
Contact with leaves, a cause of dermatitis. Bitter-tasting oil,
poisonous if eaten. American Indians consider seeds harmless,
used for food. Except for the seeds, consuming any part of the
plant will produce blisters around the mouth, stomach pains, vomiting,
diarrhea, jerking spasms, temporary blindness, convulsions. Irritant
juices may severely injure the digestive system.
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