Ranunculus diffusus f. mollis Wallich.

Herbs perennial. Roots fibrous, subequally thick. Stems ascending or prostrate, 10--40 cm, spreading pubescent, branched, rooting at lower nodes. Basal leaves 1--3; petiole 4--9 cm, spreading pubescent; blade simple or ternate, 3-partite or 3-sect, simple leaf pentagonal, 1.4--2.6 × 2--4 cm, papery, appressed puberulent, base cordate, central segment rhombic-obovate or cuneate-obovate, irregularly dentate; lateral segments obliquely flabellate, unequally 2-lobed; ternate leaves with blade 2.8--4.5 × 3--5.5 cm, petiolules short; central leaflet ovate, 3-lobed; lateral leaflets unequally 2-lobed. Lower stem leaves similar to basal ones, upper stem leaves with shorter petioles. Flowers leaf-opposed, 0.8--1.5 cm in diam. Pedicel 1--5.5 cm, puberulent. Receptacle puberulent. Sepals 5, elliptic-ovate, 4--6 mm, abaxially puberulent. Petals 5(or 6), narrowly obovate or oblong-obovate, 5--7 × 2--4 mm, nectary pit covered by a scale, apex rounded. Stamens numerous; anthers oblong or ellipsoid. Aggregate fruit subglobose, 4--9 mm in diam.; carpels numerous. Achene flat, broadly elliptic or obovate, 2.5--3 × 1.8--2 mm, glabrous, punctate, narrowly marginate; style persistent, ca. 0.8 mm. Fl. Mar--Jun.

Grassy places, rocks, by streams; 1100--3100 m. S Xizang, W and N Yunnan [Afghanistan, Bhutan, N India, N Myanmar, Nepal, N Pakistan, Sikkim].