I'm on vacation, so only a short written accompaniment today. – Daniel
Many thanks to Dale from California (aka Dfunk@Flickr) for today's photograph. To see it larger, check out the original image submitted via the Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Group Pool.
Formerly thought to only be native to Oregon and California, (relatively) recent discoveries on the San Juan Islands and Gulf Islands have extended the range into Washington and British Columbia. The author of the Flora of North America account for California buttercup hypothesizes that the populations in Washington and BC are the result of introduction into the islands, and therefore not part of the native distribution of the species.
I haven't been able to get a shot of a buttercup that shows this level of detail so far, they're all out in the bright sun (except when it's been fiercely cloudy and windy), so I get blinding yellow circles.
I love buttercups! They're so ubiquitous (I'm in California) and bright and sunny. I also delight in seeing how they relate to garden ranunculus.
Ranunculus californicus - Z7 - RHS Index of Garden Plants, Griffiths
Thank you Daniel for choosing another one of my shots. Flowers this color are often hard to photograph in bright sun and end up washed out. This one was in partial shade of an oak tree. I also used a tripod which I think helped with the sharpness and detail.
I also am a fan of buttercups. Sagebrush buttercup is usually the first wildflower I see in the spring in Wyoming - in an otherwise drab brown and gray landscape it is spectacular. (R. glaberrimus)