Perennial, with creeping, apically erect or ascending stems, rooting sometimes at the nodes, primary roots fibrous. Stems numerous, up to 90 cm, often shorter, branched, solid, densely covered with long stiff spreading hairs. Basal leaves with long petiole, blade 3-5 (-7) x 4-5 (-6) cm, ovate to broadly-ovate, appressed hairy, ternate with stalked segments, (rarely only the middle one stalked), segments either deeply, often asymmetrically trisect or ± irregularly deeply incised apically, lobes obovate to oblong-spathulate, cuneate, coarsely and very sharply dentate to serrate-dentate in the apical region, teeth acute, nearly twice as long as their width near base. Stem leaves with shorter petioles or sessile, decreasing in size. Peduncles short. Flowers 6-10, yellow, c. 2.5 cm in diameter in the axils of the upper leaves. Sepals reflexed, densely hairy, outside. Petals longer than the sepals. Achenes 2-3 mm long, numerous, compressed, with a distinct margined rib, arranged spirally in a broadly ovate or ovate-oblong head, inserted on an elongated, hairy receptacle. Style very short, straight or incurved.

Fl. Per.: March-April.

Type: Described from China (G-DC).

Lahore: D-8 Lahore, nr. Ravi.R.R. Stewart 15879 (RAW).

Distribution: Pakistan, Kashmir, India. S.F. China.

Ranunculus linearifolius Qureshi & Chaudhri is typical of Ranunculus cantoniensis, from illustration as well as description. Found from plains to 1500 m.