Follow the sun and the flies will come

Ranunculus adoneus, June 27, 2021

Ranunculus adoneus, June 27, 2021

R. adnoeus, Grizzly ridge, 12,500’, July 22, 2021

R. adnoeus, Grizzly ridge, 12,500’, July 22, 2021

Common & scientific name
Alpine buttercup, Ranunculus adoneus

Family
Buttercup, Ranunculaceae

Location
Mount Shimer, 11,800’

Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact
This beaming buttercup emerges along the edges of snowfields immediately after the snow melts, and sports fine, thread-like leaves (compared to its cousin, R. escholtzii).  The flowers of the Alpine buttercup display heliotropism; that is, they track the sun's movement from early morning until mid-afternoon.   Flowers aligned parallel to the sun's rays reach average internal temperatures several degrees Celsius above ambient air temperature, and attract more pollinators (in this case, flies) more often as a result.