Meadow Buttercup - Ranunculus acris
Medium to tall plant usually hairy. Basal leaves deeply divided into 3 to 7 narrow wedge shaped segments, each toothed or lobed. Stem leaves similar but smaller. Flowers golden yellow 15 to 25 mm with erect sepals. Stalks beneath the flowers smooth and rounded, not ribbed, and is hollow.
Often confused with R bulbosus and R repens; all are common in grasslands
Basal leaves are palmate (this distinguishes it from R repens and R bulbosus). Sepals not turned down the stalk.
Photos of basal leaves and sepals (a side-on view of flower, not 'full face')
Damp meadows and pastures various grassy places.
April to September.
Perennial.
Very common throughout Britain.
Very common in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 594 of the 617 tetrads. It is listed as Native and Locally Abundant in the current Checklist (Jeeves, 2011)
 Field by Stoney Bridge Sapcote SP 5033 9299 (taken 11.5.208).JPG)
Graham Calow
Sapcote
11 May 2008
David Gould
Narborough Bog, Leics
21 May 2015 in field near Donkey Lane (taken 11.5.2009).JPG)
Graham Calow
Sapcote
11 May 2009
Graham Calow
Field off Broughton Road, Cosby
16 May 2016
smooth rounded stem
Graham Calow
Field off Broughton Road, Cosby
16 May 2016
hollow stem
David Nicholls
Coalville Meadows
26 June 2021
 Field by Stoney Bridge Sapcote SP 5033 9299 (taken 11.5.208).JPG)
 in field near Donkey Lane (taken 11.5.2009).JPG)
Leicestershire & Rutland Map
Enter a town or village to see local records
MAP KEY:
Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020
UK Map
Species profile
- Common names
- Meadow Buttercup
- Species group:
- flowering plant
- Kingdom:
- Plantae
- Order:
- Ranunculales
- Family:
- Ranunculaceae
- Records on NatureSpot:
- 532
- First record:
- 01/07/1998 (John Mousley)
- Last record:
- 25/08/2025 (Nicholas Humphreys)
Total records by month
% of records within its species group
10km squares with records
The latest images and records displayed below include those awaiting verification checks so we cannot guarantee that every identification is correct. Once accepted, the record displays a green tick.
In the Latest Records section, click on the header to sort A-Z, and again to sort Z-A. Use the header boxes to filter the list.
Latest images
Latest records
David Gould
Narborough Bog, Leics
21 May 2015
David Nicholls
Ratby village pond and meadow
02 May 2023
Alan Semper
Harby field
05 June 2013
David Nicholls
Ratby Village Pond
05 May 2011
Steve Mathers
River Soar and Mountsorrel and Rothley Marshes
02 May 2017
Barbara Cooper
Long Clawson
23 May 2023
Sciapteryx consobrina
The larvae of the sawfly Sciapteryx consobrina feed on members of the Ranunculus family and on Moschatel . Sciapteryx consobrina larvae are highly variable both in colour and black patterning. The ground colour can vary from yellow, grey, green to absolutely black with the complete pattern of the black spots on the one hand to the specimens with the black spots completely missing on the other hand. Likewise, the black head pattern is also highly variable varying from black headed larvae to the quite orange headed larvae with all conceivable intermediate variants between them.
Phytomyza fallaciosa
The larva of the Agromyzid fly Phytomyza fallaciosa mines the leaves of various members of the Buttercup family. A brown blotch is eventually formed, without green patches. Primary and secondary feeding lines are generally clear. Pupation occurs within the mine.
Entyloma microsporum
The fungus Entyloma microsporum causes galls on the leaves and petioles of Meadow Buttercup and Creeping Buttercup causing hard yellowish pustule like swellings.
Urocystis ranunculi
Urocystis ranunculi is a smut fungus which affects certain Buttercup species causing stems etc. to blister and eventually erupt, exposing a mass of dark spores.
Phytomyza ranunculi
The larva of the Agromyzid fly Phytomyza ranunculi mines the leaves of various members of the Buttercup family including Lesser Celandine. In this species the grains of frass are closely adjoining or grouped. Identification is more difficult when the mine is in the stem.
Phytomyza ranunculivora
The larva of the Agromyzid fly Phytomyza ranunculivora mines the leaves of various members of the Buttercup family of plants. In this species the mine is linear, whitish, with frass in widely spaced grains.