Ranunculus glacialis Linnaeus var. gelidus (Karelin & Kirilov) Finet & Gagnepain.

Herbs perennial. Roots fibrous, subequally thick. Stems 5--14 cm, sparsely puberulent or subglabrous, branched. Basal leaves 3--5; petiole 1.5--9 cm, subglabrous; blade 3-sect, cordate-orbicular or cordate-pentagonal, 0.6--1.6 × 0.8--2.6 cm, papery, sparsely puberulent or subglabrous, base subcordate, central segment stalked, broadly rhombic, 3-partite, lobes incised-lobed; lateral segments subsessile, obliquely flabellate, unequally 2-partite; lobes 2 × dissected, ultimate lobules narrowly ovate or narrowly oblong. Stem leaves similar to basal ones, short petiolate or subsessile. Flowers solitary, terminal, 1.5--2 cm in diam. Receptacle puberulent. Sepals 5, broadly elliptic, ca. 5 mm, abaxially appressed white sericeous. Petals 5, broadly obovate, 8--10 × 6--10 mm, nectary pit without a scale, apex truncate-rounded. Stamens numerous; anthers narrowly oblong. Aggregate fruit globose, ca. 6 mm in diam. Achene slightly bilaterally compressed, obliquely obovoid, ca. 2 × 2 mm, puberulent; style persistent, ca. 0.7 mm. Fl. Jun--Sep.

Meadows, grassy places in valley; 2300--2800 m. NW Xinjiang [Kazakhstan].