Ranunculus melanogynus W. T. Wang

Herbs perennial. Roots fibrous, slightly thickened at base. Stems 3--5 cm, glabrous, simple. Basal leaves 3 or 4; petiole 2--4.5 cm, glabrous; blade 3-partite, reniform-pentagonal, 4--6 × 6--11 mm, papery, glabrous, base cordate, central lobe obovate or narrowly obovate, margin entire, apex obtuse; lateral lobes obliquely flabellate, unequally 2-lobed or undivided, lobules ovate, entire or 1-dentate. Stem leaves 1--3, moderately long or short petiolate; blade similar to that of basal leaves but smaller, base subcordate or truncate, margin 3-cleft to middle, lobes entire; uppermost stem leaf sometimes undivided, broadly elliptic. Flowers solitary, terminal, 1.2--1.4 cm in diam. Receptacle glabrous. Sepals 5, broadly elliptic or broadly obovate, 3.5--4.5 mm, glabrous. Petals 5, broadly obovate or cuneate-obovate, 5--6 × 5--7 mm, nectary pit without a scale, apex truncate, sometimes emarginate. Stamens numerous; anthers oblong. Carpels numerous, black; ovary broadly ovoid, ca. 1 mm, glabrous; style absent, stigma very small. Fl. Jul.

S Xizang.

* Gravelly slopes of mountain tops; ca. 5500 m.