Ranunculus abortivus
L.
Littleleaf buttercup.
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Description
A widespread temperate herb in the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) with variable leaf shapes and erect stems 10–60 cm tall. Found across most of North America from Canada to the southern United States.
Edible Uses
The plant had a variety of uses among Native American groups. The Cherokee cooked and ate the leaves. They used it medicinally for abscesses and sore throat and as a sedative. The Iroquois used it for snakebite and poisoning, smallpox, and toothache.
Traditional Uses
The leaves are cooked and eaten as greens.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Distribution
It is a temperate plant.
Where It Grows
North America, USA,
References (1)
- Moerman, D. F., 2010, Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press. p 467
