Ranunculus californicus Bentham var. canus (Bentham) W. H. Brewer & S. Watson; R. canus var. laetus (Greene) L. D. Benson

Leaf blades: ultimate segments ovate or oblong-ovate to lanceolate, margins toothed, apex acute or obtuse. Flowers: petals 5-7.

Flowering spring-summer (Mar-Jul). Grassland or very open oak woodland; 0-1200 m; Calif.

Ranunculus canus var. canus is endemic to the Sacramento Valley and adjacent foothills. As with R . californicus , the leaves vary in form. Plants from the low Sierra Nevada foothills often have simple, 3-parted leaves, while plants from the west side of the valley usually have compound leaves with leaflets parted into lanceolate segments. Many exceptions occur, however, and all possible leaf forms can be found in the eastern Sacramento Valley.