Fig Buttercup | National Invasive Species Information Center

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Fig buttercup, flowers; close-up - Photo by Leslie J. Mehrhoff; University of Connecticut

Scientific Name:

Ficaria verna Huds. (formerly known as Ranunculus ficaria L.) (Emadzade et al. 2010)

Common Name:

Fig buttercup, lesser celandine

Native To:

Europe (Post et al. 2009)

Date of U.S. Introduction:

First identified in 1867 (Post et al. 2009)

Means of Introduction:

Introduced as an ornamental (Post et al. 2009)

Impact:

Crowds out native species (Axtell et al. 2010)

Current U.S. Distribution:

Northeastern U.S. and Pacific Northwest

Distribution / Maps / Survey Status

Early Detection & Distribution Mapping System (EDDMapS) - Lesser Celandine, Fig Buttercup

University of Georgia. Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.

Provides state, county, point and GIS data. Maps can be downloaded and shared.

Images

Google Images - Fig Buttercup

Google.

Invasive.org - Lesser Celandine, Fig Buttercup

University of Georgia. Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.

Selected Resources

The section below contains highly relevant resources for this species, organized by source. Or, to display all related content view all resources for Fig Buttercup.

Partnership

Global Invasive Species Database - Ranunculus ficaria (herb)

IUCN. Species Survival Commission. Invasive Species Specialist Group.

Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States - Fig buttercup

University of Georgia. Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.

New York Invasive Species Information - Lesser Celandine

New York Invasive Species Clearinghouse.

TISI Inventory - Fig Buttercup / Lesser Celandine

Texas State University System. Texas Invasive Species Institute.

Federal Government

PLANTS Database - Fig Buttercup

USDA. NRCS. National Plant Data Center.

U.S. National Plant Germplasm System - Ficaria verna

USDA. ARS. National Genetic Resources Program. GRIN-Global.

Scientific name changed Jul 7, 2010 based on "A molecular phylogeny, morphology and classification of genera of Ranunculeae (Ranunculaceae)"

State and Local Government

Class B Noxious Weed: Lesser Celandine

Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board.

Invasive Plants in Pennsylvania: Lesser Celandine (PDF | 246 KB)

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

See also: Invasive Plant Fact Sheets for plant species (trees, shrubs, vines, herbs and aquatic plants) that have impacted the state's natural lands

Lesser Celandine (Ranunculus ficaria)

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Academic

Home Grown Facts - Greater and Lesser Celandine (PDF | 1.0 MB)

Cornell University Cooperative Extension. Oneida County.

See also: Home and Garden - Weeds for more fact sheets

Maine Invasive Plants Bulletin: Lesser Celandine

University of Maine. Cooperative Extension.

See also: Maine Invasive Plants & Entire Series for entire series of 22 fact sheets and invasive plants brochure (available in HTML/PDF or for purchase)

State Plant Pest Information: Fig Buttercup

Clemson University. Regulatory Services.

Citations

Axtell, A.E., A. DiTommaso, and A.R. Post. 2010. Lesser celandine (Ranunculus ficaria): a threat to woodland habitats in the northern United States and southern Canada. Invasive Plant Science and Management 3(2):199-196.
Emadzade, K., C. Lehnebach, P. Lockhart, and E. Hörandl. 2010. A molecular phylogeny, morphology and classification of genera of Ranunculeae (Ranunculaceae). Taxon 59(3):809-828.
Post, A.R., A. Krings, W.A. Wall, and J.C Neal. 2009. Introduced lesser celandine (Ranunculus ficaria, Ranunculaceae) and its putative subspecies in the United States: a morphometric analysis (PDF | 1.56 MB) Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas 3(1):193-209.