Ranunculus occidentalis

Ranunculus occidentalis, the western buttercup,^[1] is a species of buttercup found in the western regions of North America. Its distribution extends from Alaska through British Columbia and Alberta to central California.^[1] The flower can be seen in open meadows, forests, and other generally flat areas up to an elevation of 2,200 metres (7,200 ft).^[2]

Ranunculus occidentalis
R. occidentalis in Anacortes, Washington
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Ranunculales
Family:	Ranunculaceae
Genus:	Ranunculus
Species:	R. occidentalis
Binomial name
Ranunculus occidentalis Nutt.

Aleut first nations may have used juice from the plant as a poison,^[3] its toxicity arising from the substance protoanemonin.^[4] Shasta first nations coincided blooming Ranunculus occidentalis with salmon runs in the summer.^[5] The seeds were used to make pinole, a staple food.^[6]

This plant is similar to, and sometimes difficult to distinguish from, the California buttercup (Ranunculus californicus).