Annual, 10-50 cm high, branched, sparsely hairy especially above. Lower most leaves with a distinct petiole equalling or slightly longer than the leaf-blade, blade obovate-spathulate to oblanceolate, cuneate at apex, apex incised or with a few irregular teeth. Other leaves 3-parted to ternate with obovate-spathulate segments again deeply divided into linear, toothed or entire lobes (2-6 mm wide). Flowers 5-12 mm in diameter, sulphur yellow to greenish-yellow. Sepals patent, with long hairs outside. Petals obovate, indistinctly clawed. Achenes inserted in the pubescent receptacle, 4-8 in a single whorl, 4-6 mm long, obovate, strongly compressed with a broad sulcate border, spiny or tuberculate. Beak straight or slightly recurved, flattened, 2-3 mm long.

Fl. Per.: March-April.

Type: Described from Europe. LINN 715/26 (LINN).

Chitral: B-6 Brir, M. Qaiser & A. Ghafoor 1904 (KUH), B-7 Swat: Khawaja Khela-Shangla, J. Lamond 1714 (KUH), Hazara: Khaki, E. & Y. Nasir 8038 (RAW), Lora, E. & Y. Nasir 8678 (RAW), Kagan, Duthie 19093 (RAW), C-7 Islamabad & Rawalpindi: Kallar Syedan, E. & Y. Nasir 9004 (RAW), Topi Park, J. Singh s.n. (KUH), Kashmir: Titwal, R.R. & J.D. Stewart 17443 (RAW), Baluchistan: nr. Loralai, M. Nath 6079 (KUH, RAW), id., M. Nath 6065 (RAW), Kalat, 20.5.56, Forester s.n. (RAW), G-2 S. Makran: Rest house, Surab, Sultanul Abedin 7099 (KUH), Lahore: D-8 Lahore, 7.3.1967, Khadiha Aziz s.n. (KUH).

Distribution: Widely distributed from C. & S. Europe through S. Siberia, Western and S. W. Asia to India and the Himalaya. It is difficult to say Wh ere the species is truly indigenous and Wh ere it has been introduced as an agricultural weed.

I could not examine the type specimens of Ranunculus fernandezii Blatter and Ranunculus echinatissimus Blatter, but from the original description they appear to be morphological variants of the widespread Ranunculus arvensis.