Goldilocks Buttercup - Ranunculus auricomus
Favourite Photos
Species Description
Widespread and locally common throughout the UK. An apomictic species comprising of many microspecies. 58 have been described so far by Alan Leslie and many more could be worked out (probably over 200 in the British Isles). Most of those which have been described are from the Cambridge area. According to Alan, the south-west is completely untouched and there is the potential to discover a significant number of new species.
Useful Links:
A number of these species are illustrated on Brian Eversham Flickr:
R. unipetalatus (Stradishall Goldilocks Buttercup)
R. waltersii (Walters' Goldilocks Buttercup)
R. aequilaterus (Bourn Goldilocks Buttercup)
R. angularis (Angular Goldilocks Buttercup)
R. cf pubitorus (Caxton End Goldilocks Buttercup)
R. paucipetalus (Kedington Goldilocks Buttercup)
R. nubiliviridis (St Peter's Goldilocks Buttercup)
R. viridissimus (Dark Green Goldilocks Buttercup)
R. petaloideus (Riseley Goldilocks Buttercup)
R. multilobus (Pertenhall Goldilocks Buttercup)
R. henslowii (Henslow's Goldilocks Buttercup)
R. combertonensis (Comberton Goldilocks Buttercup)
R. crassilobus (Carlton Goldilocks Buttercup)
R. obovatilobatus (Gransden Goldilocks Buttercup)
R. argillicola (Boulder Clay Goldilocks Buttercup)
Subspecies
| name | latinname | species | sightings | media | image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goldilocks Buttercup type 1 | Ranunculus auricomus type 1 | 1 | 1 | 23 |  |
| Goldilocks Buttercup type 2 | Ranunculus auricomus type 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |  |
| Goldilocks Buttercup type 3 | Ranunculus auricomus type 3 | 1 | 1 | 9 |  |