Ranunculus ficaria

One of those cheery early spring plants which cover the roadside verges and banks in March and April. There are two common sub-species and this one is probably ssp ficaria. The other, ssp bulbilifer, tends to have fewer flowers and has tiny bulbils in the leaf axils. There is more of the ssp bulbilifer about than I reckon is recorded. This plant flowers earlier and earlier these days and there is a colony in Cheshire which has had one flower in December in consecutive years and twice in November but always has a few by January.

www.ukwildflowers.com/Web_pages/ranunculus_ficaria_lesser_celandine.htm