Ranunculus brotherusii Freyn

Herbs perennial. Roots fibrous, slightly thickened at apex. Stems 1--4, 2.5--12 cm, appressed puberulent, simple or 1- or 2-branched. Basal leaves 5--15; petiole 1.2--3.5 cm, appressed puberulent, glabrescent; blade 3-partite or 3-sect, orbicular-ovate or pentagonal, occasionally suborbicular and then broadly 3-lobed, papery, appressed puberulent, base cordate-truncate or subtruncate, central segment cuneate, 3-lobed or 3-dentate at apex or oblong and entire; lateral segments obliquely flabellate, usually unequally 2-partite. Stem leaves 2--4, lower ones similar to basal leaves, upper ones sessile, palmatisect, segments linear. Flowers solitary, terminal, 0.6--1.3 cm in diam. Receptacle glabrous, rarely with a few hairs. Sepals 5, ovate, 2.2--3.2 mm, abaxially appressed whitish pubescent. Petals 5, obovate or elliptic-obovate, 3--8 × 2.5--4 mm, nectary pit without a scale, apex rounded. Stamens numerous; anthers oblong. Aggregate fruit ovoid, rarely subglobose, 3--6 × 2--4 mm. Achene slightly bilaterally compressed, obliquely obovoid, 1--1.5 × ca. 0.8 mm, glabrous; style persistent, 0.3--0.5 mm. Fl. May--Aug.

Gansu (Sunan Xian), SW Nei Mongol (Helan Shan), Qinghai (Qilian Xian), Shanxi (Wutai Shan), NW Sichuan, C Xinjiang, S Xizang [Kazakhstan].

Meadows, grassy slopes, by streams; 2100--4700 m.