Buttercup Family: Ranunculaceae

Members of the Buttercup family are considered primitive, having characteristics retained from early ancestors. The number of sepals, petals, stamens, and pistils are not fixed and stamens and pistils are arranged in a spiral on a cone-like receptacle as compared to more modern plants with parts arranged in concentric circles and often fused. If you find a flower with many separate pistils, it’s likely in the buttercup family. There are many great garden varieties in the family – anemone, clematis, delphinium, columbine, hellebore, and aconite.