Palustris: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora and Flora of Alberta leading to this species. 

	plants usually rooted in mud; NOT [plants often floating]
	stems ascending, decumbent; NOT [stems erect, floating or creeping]
	stems bearing several leaves; NOT [stems bearing a single leaf or none]
	flowers several; NOT [flowers 1 or 2]
	flowers over 15 mm across
	sepals obovate; NOT [sepals oblong]
	sepals yellow; NOT [sepals white, pink or bluish]
	carpels 6-12; NOT [carpels about 30]

Caltha: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora and Flora of Alberta leading to this genus.

	plants NOT climbing
	leaves either basal or alternate; NOT [leaves opposite]
	leaves entire or merely toothed; NOT [leaves palmately divided], NOT [leaves compound, trifoliolate]
	flowers regular; NOT [flowers irregular]
	petals NOT spurred
	sepals yellow; NOT [sepals white or pink]
	carpels 2 or more; NOT [carpel 1]
	ovaries several-ovuled; NOT [ovaries 1-ovuled]
	fruit a follicle; NOT [fruit an achene or berry]
	follicles NOT stipitate

Ranunculaceae: Answers to key questions in Flora of Alberta leading to this family. 

	herbs; NOT [trees or shrubs]
	plants terrestrial; NOT [plants aquatic]
	plants NOT parasitic on coniferous trees
	flowers perfect; NOT [flowers imperfect, the staminate, and generally the pistillate too, in catkins]
	perianth uniseriate or entirely absent; NOT [perianth biseriate]
	ovaries superior; NOT [ovary inferior or partly so, or closely enclosed by the calyx and appearing inferior]
	ovaries 2 or more, separate from one another or united only at the base; NOT [ovary solitary]
	ovary or its locules with many ovules; NOT [ovary or its locules with only 1 or 2 ovules]