There have been no toxicity reports of ranunculus chinensis specifically, but if it's anything like the rest of the Buttercup genus, it's highly poisonous. If ingested, ranunculus chinensis is likely to cause gastrointestinal discomfort such as vomiting, diarrhoea, and irritation of the mucous membranes, blistering of the tongue, lips, and throat, extreme salivation, and colic. Ranunculus chinensis even has toxic effects when handled, as the toxic compound ranunculin breaks down into protoanemonin, which causes contact dermatitis. Interestingly, the toxins present in this plant are removed by thorough heating or drying of the plant, but beware, when it comes to the Buttercup family, it's better to be safe than sorry.