Last week we decided we would feature the buttercup. But to our surprise, we found that there were two types of the plant: One we Guyanese are more familiar with, and another that is a complete stranger. This being the case, we thought it would be fun, as well as educative, to feature them both.
THE BUTTERCUP (scientific name ‘ranunculus’) is a beautiful golden-yellow cup-shaped flower, the name of which is often used as a term of endearment.
They are mostly herbaceous perennials, that is, plants that have leaves and stems, and live for more than two years. The species has orange or red flowers. There are usually five petals, but sometimes there are six.
The petals are often highly lustrous, especially in the yellow species.
At the very base of the petal, there’s a cup-like scale. Between the scale and the petal, an insect will find a tiny amount of sweet nectar. This structure with its ‘secret’ little pool of nectar is known as a nectariferous spot or pit.
Buttercups usually flower in April or May, but flowers may be found throughout the year, especially where the plants are growing as opportunistic colonisers, as in the case of garden weeds.
Some species are popular ornamental flowers in horticulture, with many cultivars selected for large and brightly coloured flowers.

GROWING BUTTERCUPS…
From the root:
1. Choose a sunny/half-shady location
2. Soak the roots for a couple of hours in water
3. Place the roots in the earth about 5 cm deep
4. Keep the soil moist (but avoid water-logging)
5. Give the grown plants liquid fertilizer on a regular basis
From seed:
1.    Place them in flats in the spring, and cover them lightly
2.    Put the flat in a plastic bag
3.    Place the flat in the fridge for three weeks
4.    Remove the flat from the fridge and the plastic bag and place it in a shady place in your garden and cover with glass (germination time is three weeks to three months)
5.    Once the seeds have sprouted you can plant them in your preferred location.

THE Allamanda, also known as Yellow Bell, Golden Trumpet, Buttercup Flower, or Copa de Oro in Mexico, is a genus of tropical shrubs or vines belonging to the dogbane family (Apocynaceae).
The genus Alamanda is native to South and Central America. Their year-round production of large, bright flowers has made the Allamanda popular ornamentals.
A woody, evergreen shrub with vigorous growth, the Allamanda may reach a free-standing height of 2 metres or more.
Its leathery leaves are lance-like, pointed, and may either be opposite or in whorls of three or four. The yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers are 5-7.5 centimetres in diameter. Cultivated forms tend towards larger blooms, which may also be white, purple, pink or orange in colour. Their scent may be described as delicate and fruity.
In the wild, the Allamanda grows along riverbanks and other open, sunny areas with adequate rainfall and perpetually moist substrate.
The plants do not tolerate shade, salty or alkaline soils; they are highly sensitive to frost. The Allamanda, or Buttercup as we here in the Caribbean know it, is otherwise undemanding, and with appropriate conditions, will grow rapidly, from 1-3 metres annually.
The seed capsules are oval and prickly; cultivated forms rarely produce seeds, but the Allamanda can be easily propagated from cuttings. Discarded cuttings are quick to take root.
The Allamanda has become naturalized throughout the tropics; they may be seen in roadside ditches, abandoned yards, or dumps.
As a controlling measure, cutting or pruning is ineffective with Allamanda, and will lead to vigorous coppicing. Owing to its fast growth, the Allamanda has been introduced widely where it is used as a groundcover, or for hedges and screens.
In some areas, the  Allamanda is an invasive species, notably the Allamanda cathartica in Queensland, Australia.
The Allamanda cathartica is also notable for its medicinal properties: All parts of the plant contain allamandin, a toxic iridoid lactone. The leaves, roots and flowers may be used in the preparation of a powerful cathartic (hence the name); the milky sap is also known to possess antibacterial and possibly anticancer properties. Gardeners exposed to the sap will develop rashes, itch, and blisters.
The genus Allamanda took its name from Dr. Frederich Allamanda (1735-1803), a late 18th Century Swiss botanist.
The City of Canóvanas, in the Caribbean Island of Puerto Rico, has named the Allamanda Carthica (Yellow Bell) its official flower/plant, due to the vast amount of these thru the entire city and its rivers. It’s also in their seal, and downtown plaza.