Ranunculus multifidus

{{Short description|Species of plant in the genus Ranunculus}}

{{Speciesbox

|image=

|genus=Ranunculus

|species=multifidus

|authority=Forssk.

|synonyms_ref=

|synonyms={{Collapsible list|

• Ranunculus capensis Thunb.
• Ranunculus forskoehlii DC.
• Ranunculus madagascariensis Freyn
• Ranunculus membranaceus Fresen.
• Ranunculus pinnatus Poir.
• Ranunculus pubescens Thunb.
• Ranunculus rutenbergii Freyn
• Ranunculus udus Freyn
• Stylurus fistulosus Raf.

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Ranunculus multifidus, called the common buttercup in South Africa, is a widespread species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae.{{cite web |url=http://redlist.sanbi.org/species.php?species=2013-4 |title=Common Buttercup |last1=von Staden |first1=L. |date=2015 |website=National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2020.1. |publisher=South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) |access-date=10 August 2021 |quote=Common Names; ... Buttercup Flower (e), ... Wild Buttercup (e) }} It is native to Sub{{nbh}}Saharan Africa (except West Africa), Madagascar, and the Arabian Peninsula.{{cite web |url=http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:713278-1 |title=Ranunculus multifidus Forssk. |author= |website=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |access-date=10 August 2021 }} It grows in wet areas. It is used in traditional medicine to treat sores{{cite journal |title=The in vitro evaluation of the efficacy of five plants traditionally used for the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases |year=2002 |last1=Swart |first1=H. |last2=Van Dyk |first2=S. |last3=Malan |first3=S. F. |journal=Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Natuurwetenskap en Tegnologie |volume=21 |pages=19–21 |doi=10.4102/satnt.v21i1.223 |doi-access=free }} and toothaches.{{cite journal |last1=Rakotondrafara |first1=Andriamalala |last2=Rakotondrajaona |first2=Roland |last3=Rakotoarisoa |first3=Marrino |last4=Ratsimbason |first4=Michel |last5=Rasamison |first5=Vincent Emile |last6=Rakotonandrasana |first6=Stephan Richard |title=Ethnobotany of medicinal plants used by the Zafimaniry clan in Madagascar |journal=The Journal of Phytopharmacology |date=December 2018 |volume=7 |issue=6 |pages=483–494 |doi=10.31254/phyto.2018.7606|doi-access=free }}