The bright yellow flowers commonly associated with buttercups are accountable for the common name of the plants, but other bloom colors also occur. A species known as the turban or Persian buttercup is especially valued for the variety of hues its flowers may display and is the type most commonly employed by florists. Buttercups comprise the genus Ranunculus, which is the Latin term for “little frog.” The genus name is indicative of the preference of buttercups for damp, marshy areas, which are also commonly the haunts of frogs. The plants have a worldwide distribution and are especially common in northern temperate regions.