General: Perennial herb from short stem-base and strong, fibrous roots; stems 1 to several, erect, 10-50 cm tall, the base with some persistent stalks from previous years; plants smooth.
Leaves: Basal leaves deeply palmately divided into (3) 5 to 7 segments, the segments egg-shaped, somewhat 3-lobed, coarsely-toothed and often incised, the stalks 4-25 cm long, with wide, membranous stipules; stem leaves 1 to 3, alternate, short-stalked to unstalked, with wide, clasping, membranous sheaths.
Flowers: Inflorescence usually solitary and terminal, the flowers 2.5-5 cm wide; flower stalks erect, 2-30 cm long; petals 15 to 25, yellow, 3-6 mm long, concealed under the longer stamens; sepals 5 to 9, spreading, white when fresh, pale yellow to greenish-white before flower opening, egg-shaped to nearly circular, 10-20 mm long.
Fruits: Follicles, usually 11 to 14, 8-16 mm long (including beak), the beaks often curved, sometimes straight; seeds black or dark brown.
Wet to moist meadows and streambanks in the subalpine and alpine zones; common in S BC in and E of the Coast-Cascade Mountains and south of 55degreeN; E to SW AB and S to CO, UT, ID and WA.
The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range. (Updated August, 2013)
