Ranunculus auricomus; The Goldilocks buttercup is quite rare on Iceland. It is only found in coastal regions scattered in the east and some localities in the north and north-west. It can be easily overlooked because it resembles the Meadow Buttercup. The leaves though are differently shaped:
(1) The basal leaves of the Goldilocks Buttercup are entire more or less slightly incised. The first stem leaves though are as the Meadow Buttercup hand shaped compound. They quickly develop into long-linear shaded leaflets (see "bract leaves" below). The basal leaves wither fast once flower stems develop. The basal leaves of the Meadow Buttercup are from the start made up of 3(5) leaflets. The stem leaves remain more or less the same before bract leaves are formed. The basal leaves remain green longer.
(2) The bract leaves below the flowers of the Goldilocks Buttercup are long (few cm) and linear. In the Meadow Buttercup they are small (few mm).
A note on the two photo's I took of this species in 2011: they where photographed on the same locality, being a large rock-hollow within a small waterfall. I immediately sensed that this buttercup was different.... If anyone is interested I can give the GPS data of this locality
It is a member of the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae). The Icelandic name of this species is Sifjarsóley.
FLORA OF ICELAND elements: Ranunculus auricomus, Goldilocks Buttercup, Sifjarsóley
A brief introduction to Iceland plants
Text & Photographs by Dick Vuijk
- unless stated otherwise
Text & Photographs by Dick Vuijk
- unless stated otherwise
Other Buttercup family members
Other Buttercup family members