General:
Perennial herb from mass of thick, fibrous roots, sometimes fleshy and more or less tuberous; stems usually several, decumbent to erect, 20-60 (100) cm tall/long, somewhat hollow; plants stiff-hairy to less commonly smooth.

Leaves:
Basal narrowly egg-shaped to oblong or semicircular, the blades usually pinnately 3- to 5-lobed or -parted, 3-12.5 cm long, 2.5-14 cm wide, the segments or leaflets undivided or 1- to 2-times lobed or parted, the ultimate segments linear to circular, margins toothed or entire, tips rounded to narrowly pointed, the stout stalks to 25 cm long; stem leaves alternate, shorter-stalked, more deeply divided, the ultimate segments linear.

Flowers:
Inflorescence a few-flowered terminal cyme; flower stalks to 15 cm long; receptacle stiff-hairy; petals 5 or 6, distinct, yellow or red on the back, yellow above, 8-18 mm long, 4-11 mm wide, nectary on upper surface, the nectary scale smooth, 0.5-1 mm long; sepals 5, bent back 1-2 mm from base, early deciduous, often purplish-tinged, 5-11 mm long, 2-4 mm wide, stiff-hairy, soft-hairy or smooth; stamens 50-70; pistils 5-50.

Fruits:
Achenes, several to many in a globe- to egg-shaped head 5-13 mm long, 6-10 mm wide, the achenes broadly egg-shaped, 2.8-4.5 mm long, 1.8-3.2 mm wide, smooth, margins conspicuous and slightly keeled above; beaks persistent, narrowly lanceolate- to awl-shaped, straight, 1.8-4 (5) mm long.

Notes:
Two varieties are recognized in BC:

1. Petals yellow, tinged with red or purple on the back, usually over twice as long as wide; heads of achenes hemispheric or sometimes globe-shaped, 5-7 mm long................ var. orthorhynchus

1. Petals yellow, not tinged with red or purple, usually less than twice as long as wide; heads of achenes globe- or egg-shaped, 8-13 mm long..................... var. platyphyllus A. Gray

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Illustration Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Ranunculus orthorhynchus subsp. alaschensis (L.D. Benson) Hultén
Ranunculus orthorhynchus subsp. orthorhynchus
Ranunculus orthorhynchus subsp. platyphyllus (A. Gray) Roy L. Taylor & MacBryde
Ranunculus orthorhynchus var. alaschensis L.D. Benson
Ranunculus orthorhynchus var. hallii Jeps.
Ranunculus orthorhynchus var. platyphyllus A. Gray
Ranunculus orthorhynchus var. typicus L.D. Benson