Caltha palustris Linnaeus var. scaposa (J. D. Hooker & Thomson) Maximowicz; C. scaposa var. parnassioides Ulbrich; C. scaposa var. smithii Ulbrich.

Plants small. Stems simple or branched, more than 3.5 cm tall, to 24 cm at fruiting, 1--2 mm in diam. Basal leaves 3--10, long petiolate; petiole 2.5--10(--15) cm, base with membranous sheath; leaf blade cordate-ovate or triangular-ovate, sometimes reniform, 1--3(--3.7) × 1.2--2.8(--4) cm, base deeply cordate, margin entire or repand, sometimes sparsely denticulate, apex rounded. Cauline leaves shortly petiolate or sometimes sessile, small. Flower solitary, terminal, or 2 in monochasium. Pedicels more than 3 cm, to 20 cm at fruiting. Sepals 5(--7), yellow, obovate, elliptic or ovate, 0.9--1.5(--1.9) × 0.7--1.4 cm, apex rounded. Stamens 3.5--7(--10) mm; anthers oblong. Follicles (5--)6--8(--11), 1--1.6 cm × 2.5--3 mm, shortly stipitate; persistent style ca. 1 mm. Seeds black. Fl. Jun--Sep, fr. Jul.

Alpine meadows, wet places in valleys; 2800--4100 m. S Gansu, S Qinghai, W Sichuan, SE Xizang, NW Yunnan [Bhutan, N India, Nepal, Sikkim].