Buttercup Varieties

• Buttercup Vine
• Buttercup Flower Varieties
• Buttercup Flower Varieties
• Buttercup Flower Parts
• Ranunculus Varieties

Ranunculus flowers, also commonly known as buttercups, are bouquet favorites because of their colorful petals. Know more about them and its different types. Ranunculus flowers have over 600 species, the most common of which is the Persian ranunculus.

• The ranunculus genus is a large and diverse group of flowers that includes designer blooms with crepe petals, cold-hardy specimens, and even aquatic plants for the water garden. Also known as the buttercup, some ranunculus species are endemic to alpine regions, while other cultivars flaunt their ethereal beauty in high-end florist shops.
• Buttercup is the common name for representing all members of the Ranunculus genus in the Ranunculaceae family. Buttercup flower comes in different shapes, sizes, colors, and types. Although yellow buttercup is the most common type, which you can meet in the common gardens. There are about 600 plants in nature recorded by the field experts.
• The Cucurbita genus is generally known as the gourd family of plants and includes squash, pumpkins, and gourds. There are four Cucurbita species which are commonly grown as annuals. While squash varieties within each species will readily cross pollinate.
• Winter Squash Varieties —like acorn, butternut, buttercup (kabocha), Hubbard, and Spaghetti—are left on the vine to size up and ripen all summer, harvested in the fall, and eaten all through the winter.

Buttercup Vine

Buttercups are a large genus of flowering plants called Ranunculus. It has yellow, shiny petals, and grows wild in many places. It is poisonous to eat for humans and cattle, but when dry the poison is not active.

Types of buttercup[change | change source]

There are about 200 to 600 species in this one genus. They mostly have yellow or sometimes white flowers. Buttercups include a wide variety of flower types, grouped by a plant naming system in the genus Ranunculus. Among them are the Meadow Buttercup (Ranunculus acris), Goldilocks Buttercup (R. auricomus), Creeping Buttercup (R. repens), Large White Buttercup (R. platanifolius), Celery-leaved Buttercup (R. sceleratus), Corn Buttercup (R. arvensis), Bulbous Buttercup (R. bulbosus) and Glacial Buttercup (R. glacialis).

Lesser Celandine (R. ficaria), Lesser Spearwort (R. flammula), and Greater Spearwort (R. lingua) also belong to the buttercup family.

Plants of the commonly named buttercup family grow in many different variations but most can be identified by their yellow cupped flowers and free-growing habit. The plants often climb or sprawl, with leaves arranged in spirals. Some may contain leaves without stipules and flowers with many stamens.

Molecular investigation of the genus shows that Ranunculus is not monophyletic.^[1] Proposals are under way to split up the genus.

Folklore and Pop Culture[change | change source]

Highlights shining on the reflective petals of the buttercup can be seen in the images at left and above.

People sometimes hold a fresh buttercup flower under the chin of a friend or family member. If a yellow reflection from the flower's shiny petals can be seen under the chin, the person is said to 'like butter'. This custom is still taught to young children and shows how buttercup petals reflect light.

Some other plants and people are named buttercup, based on the name of the yellow wild flower. These include a type of pumpkin, and the girl's name Buttercup.

'Build Me Up Buttercup' was the name of a popular song by The Foundations during the 1960s. A song called 'Buttercup' was released by Jack Stauber in 2017. A cartoon character from The Powerpuff Girls television series was also named Buttercup. Buttercups and their poisonous effect are used as a theme in the PC game Undertale.

Michael Avenatti, the lawyer of adult movie star 'Stormy Daniels' (real name: Stephanie Clifford) against US President Donald Trump's ex lawyer and 'fixer' Michael Cohen used on 29 July 2018 the phrase 'You better buckle up buttercup'^[2] in a tweet addressing Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani, which soon became the hashtag #BuckleUpButtercup.^[3]

References[change | change source]

Buttercup Flower Varieties

1. ↑Emadzade K. et al 2010. A molecular phylogeny, morphology and classification of genera of Ranunculeae (Ranunculaceae). Taxon59: 809–828.
2. ↑'Michael Avenatti on Twitter'. Twitter. Retrieved 2018-07-30.
3. ↑'Michael Avenatti on Twitter'. Twitter. Retrieved 2018-07-30.

Buttercup Flower Varieties

Squash season is in full swing. The shelves usually limited to bland butternut and unispiring acorn varieties are now bursting with a varied and colorful bounty. I typically ignored these generally unattractive gourds until the past year or two, when I discovered the unique taste of the kabocha. Dense, flavorful, and almost potato-like in texture, it is a far cry from the mushy and stringy butternut that I typically associated with squash.

Buttercup Flower Parts

But not all kabocha are the same. In prime season (now), it’s considerably easier to find the large, heavy kabocha that are brimming with a modest sweetness, chestnut-like flavor, and dry, dense composition. Out of season, kabocha can occasionally develop a wetter texture with a mushy texture more reminiscent of the pedestrian varieties that contaminate the squash section year round. The challenge that it’s often difficult to identify whether a kabocha will be fantastic or uninspired. Heavier squashes seem to be superior, and I typically find that rougher skin and larger skin seem to be predictive of the better versions. I typically roast my squash by cooking it at 400 °F for 20 minutes, then halving it, scooping the seeds out, and cutting into thick slices. These thick slices are then roasted for 40 more minutes. I don’t find that oil is necessary, though some may prefer the flavor. The first cut through the squash can offer clues as to what is to come. A green ring around the inside is typically an ominous sign, as are beads of liquid that appear after slicing. Sometimes extending the second roast up to one hour can help, as can resting the cooked squash overnight in the refrigerator, but it will never near the flavor and texture of an optimal squash.

Ranunculus Varieties

Adding to these challenge is that kabocha has a close relative, the buttercup, which more often takes on this softer texture. I also find the flavor tends to be more vegetal. The classic buttercup looks somewhat different from kabocha. They are squatter with a boxier shape compared with the rounder kabocha. The base has an open ring with a pale, thin skin in the center, and the surface is geenrally smoother. The flesh tends to be a brighter yellow vs. the more orange hue of the kabocha.

While these classic descriptions seem like an easy way to differentiate these two varieites, the reality is that there is a spectrum in this family that makes distinguishing these two archetypes more challenging. Some kabocha-looking squash have a somewhat open ring at the base instead of the classic “button”. There are variations skin texture and shape in both varieites, and it’s not surprising they are often confused and mislableled. Some websites claim that anything but a pure closed button base identifies the squash as a buttercup, but I find it’s not so simple. There is considerable variety in these forms, which I suspect reflects the fact that there are not only two varieites, but a range that may be closer or further from the classic buttercup or kabocha.

I bought two squash at the same supermarket. One was clearly a buttercup, with the classic open base and squared off shape. The interior is asymmetric, with the seed-packed core much closer to the base than the more centered kabocha. The texture upon roasting was softer, with a sweet, but more vegetal taste that was a bit unappealing.

The kabocha, despite the slight ring around the button, was clearly a kabocha in prime form. The darker color, denser texture, and chestnut-like sweet flavor was a refreshing contrast.