Creeping Buttercup - introduced (*Ranunculus repens)

Family: Ranunculaceae (Buttercup family).

Native of Eurasia.

Occurrence: Weed of damp areas. It is absent from drier bushland. It is an environmental weed.

Identification:

• it is a perennial
• the glossy yellow flowers have five petals
• the leaves are divided into three leaflets; the leaflets are further toothed or lobed
• the leaf stalk is long (up to 30 cm)
• it has creeping stems.

Similar species: There are native and introduced buttercups. Creeping Buttercup can be distinguished by its creeping habit, its preference for damp areas, the trifoliate leaves and the large yellow flowers.

Photos 1, 2: Creeping Buttercup. It may cover large areas, and exclude other vegetation. Lake Pertobe.
3: Creeping Buttercup beside Gardiners Creek. Laburnum.