In damp meadows and fields which experience regular flooding the Creeping Buttercup is the commonest and most persistent weed.

In time, however, the name became corrupted to Erdrauch, meaning ground smoke or smoke of the earth, and it was this name which was translated into many other languages, including the Latin f umus terrae. Appropriately, however, in a breeze a mass of Common Fumitory does look something like smoke rising from the earth.

Creeping Buttercup and the related Corn Crowfoot (R. arvensis L.) are poisonous to cattle, particularly in the fresh state. If either of these two plants are eaten in great quantity, death can ensue within half an hour. In practice, however, grazing ,cattle avoid buttercups, so there is only a risk if these plants find their way into fodder. Toxicity is decreased or eliminated entirely by drying.

This species is just as aromatic but the flowerheads are composed only of yellow-green tubular flowers; the white ray flowers are absent. It is a native of North America but has spread to other continents.

The annual or overwintering Corn Crowfoot is an upright branching plant, 10 -40 cm high, with small lemon-yellow or green flowers.

The achenes are humpy, covered with spines which attach themselves to the fur of animals, and fitted with a beak about 3 mm long. The flowers are produced from April until July. Corn Crowfoot grows in fields and fallow land, particularly in lowland areas and is rarely found at higher elevations.