Ranunculaceae

Ranunculaceae, commonly known as the buttercup family, is a family of flowering plants in the order Ranunculales. It comprises about 50 to 60 genera and around 2,000 species. Most members are herbaceous perennials; a minority are shrubs or climbing plants. The family is widespread in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere and also occurs in montane and alpine habitats in some tropical regions.

Leaves are usually alternate and often palmately lobed or divided. Flowers are typically bisexual and actinomorphic, though some genera show irregular forms. They commonly have five or more petaloid tepals and numerous stamens surrounding a variable number of free carpels. Nectaries may be at the base of petals or sepals, and in some genera petals may be reduced or absent. The fruit is often an aggregation of achenes or a series of follicles.

Many species contain toxic compounds; alkaloids are notable in genera such as Aconitum and Delphinium, while some plants release irritant compounds like protoanemonin when damaged. Toxicity can affect livestock and handling should be cautious. Despite this, several Ranunculaceae are valued ornamentals and are widely cultivated for flowers, foliage, or floral form. Notable garden genera include Ranunculus, Aquilegia, Anemone, Clematis, Helleborus, Delphinium, Nigella, Thalictrum, and Actaea.

Systematics and relationships within Ranunculaceae have historically been complex and subject to revision as molecular data accumulate. In modern classifications, the family is placed in the order Ranunculales within the eudicots, and its genera are commonly grouped by shared floral morphology and chemistry. The family remains important in horticulture and plant biology for both its diversity and its ecological roles in various habitats.