Slender herb up to 15 cm. tall, very sparsely clad in long soft hairs; stock stout, with ∞ fleshy roots. Lvs mainly or all radical, on petioles (2.5)-5-7·5 cm. long; sheath membr. Lamina variously cut, (a) 3-foliolate, (b) 3-lobed, (c) 1-2-lobed to entire; Iflts or lobes round-ovate, Cauline lvs or bracts spathulate-oblong, petioles slender. Scape simple or with 1-2 branches. Fls small; sepals 5, lanceolate to narrow-oblong; petals 5, yellow, narrow-oblong, rounded at apex, clawed at base; gland 1 just above claw. Achenes few, slightly compressed, margins thickened; style subulate, hooked at tip.

2n = 48

Tufted perennial, 5-25 cm tall; rhizome 0. Lvs ternate; leaflets stalked, 5-10-(25) mm diam., divided to 1/2 way or more into 3 crenate or bluntly toothed lobes, hairy or almost glabrous. Fls 1-3 per stem, (8)-10-15-(18) mm diam.; pedicels long, with silky hairs. Sepals spreading, hairy. Petals 5, yellow, narrowly obovate; nectary single, c. 2 mm from petal base, covered by a small rounded scale. Receptacle hairy. Achenes 10-15, flattened, glabrous; body broad, (2.5)-3-4 mm long; beak straight or curved, broad, 0.5-1 mm long.