6. Ranunculus soleratus, Linn.

The medicinal plant Ranunculus soleratus is a member of the Ranunculaceae (buttercup) family. This page includes its habitat, botanical descption, medicinal uses (eg., Ayurveda), chemical constituents and history of use in modern and ancient India.

Index in Flora of British India (Hooker): 1. 19.

Synonyms:—Ranunculus indicus, Roxb. 458.

Vernacular:— Kaf-es-saba (Arab.); Kabikaj (Pers.). Polica (Tirhut); Shim (Kumaon).

Habitat:—River banks in Bengal and Northern India; marshes of Peshawar; warm valleys of the Himalaya; unknown south of the Nerbudda.

Botanical description:—An annual glabrous, erect yellow-green herb.

Stem: usually 6-12 in., sometimes 1-3ft, succulent, hollow.

Radical leaves: ½-l¾ in. across, long-stalked, deeply 3-lobed, segments lobed, obtusely toothed, near the top.

Stem leaves: shortly stalked, 3-parted, segments narrow, lobed and toothed.

Flowers: ¼-⅓ in. diam., numerous, petals pale-yellow.

Sepals: re-flexed.

Receptacle: oblong, hairy.

Achenes: glabrous, in oblong heads, ultimately becoming cylindrical and longer.

Parts used:—The whole plant.

Medicinal uses:—It was formerly used in Europe by professional beggars to produce or maintain blisters or open sores intended to excite sympathy. Roxburgh remarks that it has no native name, and that its properties are apparently unknown. It certainly possesses a very powerful principle, and one would expect to find it taking a place in the practice of herbalism. Water distilled from a decoction retains its acrid character, and, if this be allowed to slowly evaporate, it leaves behind a quantity of highly insoluble crystals of a very inflammable character.

The fresh plant is poisonous, and produces violent effect if taken internally. The bruised leaves form an application to raise blisters, and may also be used to keep open sores caused by vesication, or by other means (Murray).