(from BBC website)

Scientists in Wales have launched a search for old buttercups which they claim could help reveal the age of our meadows. Buttercups are thought to be able to survive for centuries and a spread of them could date a meadow, in the same way that rings denote the age of a tree.

Aberystwyth's Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (Ibers) is asking the public for help. It wants details of creeping buttercups and the number of their petals.

There are three different species of buttercups, but researchers only want details about the creeping buttercup species. This species reproduces "vegetatively", and as a result lives for a long time.

How can you help?

• Find a field containing lots of flowering buttercups
• Try to age the field by asking the farmer or landowner or looking at old maps.
• Make sure you can identify the creeping buttercup – their leaves are in three parts with a short stalk connecting the middle section.
• Look at 100 creeping buttercup flowers and count the number with more than five flowers

Preliminary research has shown that old buttercups from older pastures are more likely to have extra petals than young buttercup in newly established fields.  Looking at the proportion of buttercups in a field with more than five petals may indicate the age of the field – i.e. indicate when it was last ploughed.

People who would like to help are asked to send the estimated age of the field, number of flowers with additional petals, the location and date to Dr John Warren at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it