Ranunculus ficaria

{
  "id": "MLC-T-ENV-023115",
  "term": "Ranunculus ficaria",
  "field": "Environment",
  "definition": "Lesser celandine, also known as fig buttercup, is an herbaceous, perennial plant. Plants have a basal rosette of dark green, shiny, stalked leaves that are kidney- to heart-shaped. The flowers open in March and April, have eight glossy, butter-yellow petals, and are borne singly on delicate stalks that rise above the leaves. Pale-colored bulblets are produced along the stems of the above-ground portions of the plant, but are not apparent until late in the flowering period. When in bloom, large infestations of lesser celandine appear as a green carpet with yellow dots, spreading across the forest floor. There are many varieties of lesser celandine including a double-flowered form with many crowded petals and dark green leaves mottled with silvery markings.",
  "references": [
    "National Park Service Plant Conservation Alliance at http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/rafi1.htm"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/environment/ranunculus-ficaria/"
}