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Celery buttercup (Ranunculus sceleratus)

Celery buttercup is an introduced annual weed of wetland habitats in Australia, including wetlands associated with the Murray River. It is poisonous to stock and can be a concern where it grows in wet pasture or other areas used by livestock.

Key facts

Type: Weed, aquatic.

Native to: North Africa, Europe, and western to central Asia.

Established in: QLD, NSW, ACT, VIC, SA.

Other names: Cursed crowfoot, Blister buttercup.

Best time to act: Look for plants and control them before fruiting, with flowering recorded from November to April.

Identification

  • An erect, semi-aquatic annual, usually 20–80 cm high, with a stout, hollow, ridged stem that branches above.
  • Lower leaves are broad, heart-based and palmately 3–5-lobed; upper leaves are sessile and more deeply divided or simple.
  • Small, pale-yellow flowers grow in clusters, with petals about 3–4 mm long and sepals that reflex beneath the flower.
  • The fruit forms a distinctive elongated head of numerous small, flattened achenes, about 1 mm long, with minute beaks.
  • Look-alike: Other buttercups can look similar, but the combination of a stout hollow stem, deeply lobed lower leaves and elongated fruiting head helps distinguish celery buttercup.

Where it grows

In Australia it grows in wetland habitats, including wetlands associated with the Murray River, and has also been recorded at Comaum Forest near the Victorian border.

Why it matters

  • The plant is poisonous to stock.
  • It is a weed of wetlands and may compete with other vegetation where it establishes.
  • Its presence in wet pasture or wetland areas used by livestock warrants attention because of the poisoning risk.

How it spreads

  • Its numerous seeds can be moved with water and wet mud.
  • Seeds and mud can also be carried between sites on footwear, vehicles, machinery or other equipment.

Control options

  • For small infestations, remove plants before they set seed, including roots where practical, and wear gloves to avoid contact with the plant.
  • Contain removed plants and dispose of them in accordance with local waste guidance, taking care not to spread seed or contaminated mud.
  • Where chemical control is appropriate, use only a herbicide registered for the site and permitted for use near or in water, and follow the label and any permit requirements.
  • Reinspect treated sites and nearby wet areas, and repeat control as needed; report suspected new infestations to the relevant state or territory biosecurity agency or land manager.

Hygiene and washdown

  • Remove mud, plant material and seeds from boots, vehicles and machinery before leaving an infested wetland, and contain the cleaning waste.
  • Do not move water, soil or wet equipment from infested sites to clean waterways or wetlands.
  • Inspect and clean vehicles, plant and footwear before leaving an infested area, paying attention to tyres, radiators, belly plates, tracks and floor mats.
  • Wash down at a designated bay where runoff is contained and can be monitored for seedlings.
  • Record each washdown so the client has evidence of clean entry and exit.

Classification by state

  • Australia (national): No national listing. Managed under state and territory law.
  • Queensland: Not prohibited or restricted. Not listed as prohibited or restricted matter in Queensland. Everyone must also take all reasonable and practical steps to minimise its risks (the general biosecurity obligation).
  • New South Wales: Not a priority weed. Not a state or regional priority weed in NSW. The general biosecurity duty applies: anyone dealing with it must prevent, eliminate or minimise the risk it poses.
  • Victoria: Not declared. Not declared under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. Other Victorian laws may still apply.
  • South Australia: Declared plant. Depending on the declaration, it can be an offence to move it on public roads or sell it, and landowners may be required to control it on their land.
  • Western Australia: Declared pest (C1), prohibited. C1 Exclusion: to be kept out of WA, or out of the parts of WA where it is not established. Report any sighting to DPIRD. It must not be brought into WA (prohibited organism).
  • Tasmania: Not declared. Not a declared weed in Tasmania. Other laws may still apply.
  • Northern Territory: Not declared. Not on the NT A to Z weed list, and Weeds Australia does not list it as declared in the NT. Check the NT declared weeds list before moving or planting it.
  • Australian Capital Territory: Not declared. Not declared under the Biosecurity Act 2023 (ACT). A general biosecurity duty still applies.

Legal obligations

Every state and territory places a duty on landholders and people working on land to prevent the spread of invasive species, such as the general biosecurity obligation in Queensland and the general biosecurity duty in New South Wales. Declarations and control requirements differ between states and local government areas, so check the current official list before work starts.

  • Queensland: Biosecurity Act 2014 (Qld), administered by Biosecurity Queensland (13 25 23)
  • New South Wales: Biosecurity Act 2015 (NSW), administered by NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
  • Australian Capital Territory: Biosecurity Act 2023 (ACT), administered by ACT Biosecurity
  • Victoria: Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 (Vic), administered by Agriculture Victoria
  • South Australia: Landscape South Australia Act 2019 (SA), administered by the regional landscape board

Sources