General:
Biennial or short-lived perennial herb from a cluster of fibrous roots; stems usually single, erect or nearly so, 10-60 cm tall, smooth, hollow.

Leaves:
Basal, persistent, round to kidney-shaped, not divided, but sometimes inner ones 3-parted or -lobed, 1.5-4 cm long, 2-5 cm wide, base shallowly to deeply notched, margins round-toothed to round-lobed, the stalks up to 10 cm long; lower stem leaves similar to basal, but often deeply 3-lobed or -parted; upper stem leaves and bracts divided into 3 to 5 linear or narrowly lanceolate, entire segments.

Flowers:
Inflorescence a 3- to 50-flowered cyme; flower stalks to 10 cm long, smooth or nearly so; receptacle sparsely long-hairy; petals 5, distinct, yellow, fading to white, 1.5-3.5 mm long, 1-2 mm wide, nectary on upper surface, the nectary scale smooth, 0.5-0.7 mm long; sepals 5, spreading to bent back, early deciduous, greenish-yellow and usually purplish-tinged, 2.5-4 mm long, 1-2 mm wide, smooth above; stamens 15-30; pistils 20-40 (50).

Fruits:
Achenes, 20 to 50 in an egg-shaped head 3-6 mm long, 2.5-5 mm wide, the achenes egg-shaped, 1.4-1.6 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, smooth; beaks awl-shaped, curved, 0.1-0.2 mm long.

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

Flower Colour:
Yellow

Blooming Period:
Spring

Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Black
Present over the Summer

Source:  The USDA

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Ranunculus abortivus subsp. acrolasius (Fernald) Kapoor & A. Löve & D. Löve
Ranunculus abortivus var. abortivus
Ranunculus abortivus var. acrolasius Fernald
Ranunculus abortivus var. eucyclus Fernald
Ranunculus abortivus var. indivisus Fernald
Ranunculus abortivus var. typicus Fernald