Ranunculus hirtellus Royle

Herbs perennial. Roots fibrous, slightly thickened above. Stems 1--5, 4.5--27 cm, puberulent, branched or simple. Basal leaves 2--5; petiole 1.5--9.5 cm, sparsely puberulent or subglabrous; blade 3-sect or 3-partite, sometimes 3-cleft to near middle, pentagonal or reniform, 0.5--3.5 × 0.7--4.2 cm, papery, often glabrescent, base usually cordate, central segment obovate or cuneate-obovate, 3-lobed or 3-dentate, rarely entire; lateral segments obliquely flabellate, unequally 2-cleft. Stem leaves short petiolate or sessile, 3-sect. Flowers solitary or 2 or 3 in a terminal monochasium, 0.9--1.5 cm in diam. Pedicel 1--12 cm, puberulent. Receptacle puberulent or glabrous. Sepals 5, elliptic-ovate or elliptic, 2.5--5.5 mm, abaxially yellowish pubescent. Petals 5, obovate or broadly obovate, 5--8 × 3.2--7 mm, nectary pit without a scale, apex rounded. Stamens numerous; anthers ellipsoid or oblong. Aggregate fruit ovoid or narrowly ovoid, 5--7 × 4--5 mm. Achene obliquely obovoid, 1.7--2 × 1--1.5 mm, puberulent or glabrous; style persistent, 0.6--1 mm.

Himalaya (Kashmil to Sikkim), Tibet, W. China.

E and S Qinghai, W Sichuan, Xizang, NW Yunnan [Afghanistan, N India, Kashmir, Nepal, N Pakistan].

2800-5500 m

3000--5000 m.

Flowering from May to June.

Ranunculus hirtellus is occurring S Xizang of China, Afghanistan, N India, Kashmir, Nepal, N Pakistan.

Herbs perennial. Roots fibrous, slightly thickened above. Stems 15-30 cm long, puberulent, branched or simple. Basal leaves petiole 5-10 cm long, sparsely puberulent; blade 3-sect, sometimes 3-cleft to near middle, pentagonal or reniform, papery, often glabrescent, base usually cordate, central segment obovate or cuneate-obovate, 3-lobed, rarely entire; lateral segments obliquely flabellate, unequally 2-cleft. Stem leaves short petiolate or sessile, 3-sect. Flowers 2-3 in a terminal monochasium. Receptacle puberulent. Sepals 5, elliptic-ovate or elliptic, abaxially yellowish pubescent. Petals 5, obovate or broadly obovate, nectary pit without a scale, apex rounded. Stamens numerous; anthers ellipsoid or oblong. Aggregate fruit ovoid or narrowly ovoid. Achene obliquely obovoid, puberulent or glabrous; style persistent.

The basic chromosomal number of Ranunculus hirtellus is 2n = 32 (Jee et al., 1983; Bir and Thakur, 1984; Bir et al., 1987).

Growing in scrub, weedy places; 2800-3200 m.

Ranunculus hirtellus is defined by stems 15-30 cm long, basal leaves with petiole 5-10 cm long, blade 3-sect. Flowers 2-3 in a terminal monochasium. Receptacle and achenes puberulent.