Ranunculus abortivus. a. Young plant, b. Plant in flower, c. Mature receptacle bearing seeds, d. Seeds. From Buchholtz 1968.

Europeans knew these plants well before they arrived in the New World. There were multiple uses and beliefs associated with the genus. Farmers in some areas were convinced that cattle eating these yellow-flowered plants in the spring passed the color along in their golden butter. Some cattlemen even rubbed the flowers on their cows’ udders and hung the plants over the barn door to add color to the cream (Coffey 1993, Vickery 1995). In the Inner Hebrides, R. flammula was used as a substitute for rennet in cheese making (Vickery 1995).