Caltha gracilis Handel-Mazzetti (1923), not Nakai (1922); C. rubriflora B. L. Burtt & Lauener; C. sinogracilis f. rubriflora (B. L. Burtt & & Lauener) W. T. Wang.

Plants small, glabrous. Stems more than 4 cm tall, to 10 cm at fruiting, ca. 1 mm in diam., simple to 7-branched. Leaves all basal, long petiolate; petiole 3--5 cm; leaf blade orbicular-reniform or reniform-cordate, 1--1.7 × 1.2--3.5 cm, herbaceous, base deeply cordate, margin crenate or dentate basally, apex rounded. Flower solitary, terminal, ca. 2 cm in diam. Pedicels 3--4 cm. Sepals 5, yellow, rarely red, narrowly elliptic, ca. 1.4 cm × 4.5 mm, apex rounded. Stamens ca. 3 mm; anthers oblong, ca. 1 mm. Follicles 5--10, sessile; persistent style ca. 0.8 mm. Seeds dark brown, narrowly ellipsoid-globose, ca. 1.5 mm.

* Grasslands, by streams; 3200--4100 m. SE Xizang, NW Yunnan.