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

	plants NOT aquatic, mud or dryland plants; NOT [plants aquatic, leaves mostly floating or submersed]
	stems upright; NOT [plants creeping]
	plants NOT stoloniferous
	leaves NOT finely dissected
	leaves reniform in outline, more or less cordate at base; NOT [leaves deltoid-ovate in outline, acute to rounded at base]  (BF)
	leaves all, or in part, deeply lobed to compound; NOT [leaves entire or merely toothed] (FOA)
	basal and cauline leaves distinctly unlike, some or all of the basal leaves merely toothed (or entire), most of the cauline deeply cleft and sessile or subsessile; NOT [basal and cauline leaves all deeply incised or divided into distinct segments, the cauline smaller or with few segments, or with shorter petioles]
	basal leaves ovate to rhomboid, reniform, entire to compound; NOT [basal leaves elliptic to linear, not deeply divided] (BF)
	basal leaves crenate or lobed to almost halfway; NOT [basal leaves lobed almost to the base, or divided] (BF)
	basal leaves reniform, sometimes 3-lobed (FOA)
	sepals usually 5; NOT [sepals normally 3]
	petals shorter and narrower than the sepals; NOT [petals longer and wider than the sepals]
	petals 1.5-3 mm long; NOT [petals 3-5 mm long]
	petals yellow; NOT [petals white (sometimes yellowish at base)]
	achenes glabrous; NOT [achenes pubescent]

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

	plants NOT woody climbers
	leaves either basal or alternate; NOT [plants with opposite leaves]
	leaves not all basal, stem leaves present; NOT [leaves all basal]
	flowers regular; NOT [flowers irregular]
	sepals NOT spurred
	petals present, mostly yellow; NOT [petals absent, the sepals often colored and petal-like but seldom yellow]
	petals NOT spurred
	carpels 2 or more; NOT [carpel 1]
	ovaries 1-ovuled; NOT [ovaries several-ovuled]
	fruit an achene; NOT [fruit a follicle or berry]
	achenes in globose or cylindrical heads; NOT [achenes in elongate, tapering heads]

Ranunculaceae: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora  leading to this family. 

	herbs; NOT [shrubs or trees]
	plants NOT with colored milky juice
	plants with more than one normal leaf
	some or all leaves alternate; NOT [leaves opposite, whorled or basal]
	leaves without stipules, or having glands; NOT [leaves with stipules]
	leaves mostly submerged, small, coarsely to finely dissected; NOT [leaves mostly floating, large, suborbicular or reniform]
	flowers pedicellate; NOT [flowers sessile, axillary]
	flowers with two floral rings, and with each petal distinct from the others
	flowers perfect; NOT [flowers monoecious]
	calyx regular; NOT [calyx irregular, some sepals smaller than others]
	petals mostly white or yellow
	stamens usually more than 10; NOT [stamens 10 or fewer]
	carpels separate; NOT [carpels united]