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

	terrestrial plants, mostly with erect stems; NOT [aquatic or creeping mud plants, the leaves mostly floating or submersed]
	plants NOT [with stolons or runners]
	plants generally more than 1.5 dm tall
	stems and leaves pilose-pubescent or villose; NOT [stems and leaves subglabrous or puberulent]
	leaves NOT finely dissected
	leaves all, or in part, deeply lobed to compound; NOT [leaves entire or merely toothed]
	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 segment, or with shorter petioles]
	basal leaves ovate to rhomboid, reniform, entire to compound; NOT [basal leaves elliptic to linear, not deeply divided]
	basal leaves crenate or lobed to almost halfway; NOT [basal leaves deeply 3-parted or lobed almost to base]
	plants NOT very early flowering
	flowering stalks stout, elongated; NOT [flowering stalks slender, often shorter than the conspicuous upper leaves]
	sepals usually 5; NOT 3
	petals longer and wider than the sepals; NOT [shorter and narrower than the sepals]
	petals 8-15 mm long; NOT 1.5-8 mm long
	petals yellow; NOT [white, sometimes yellowish at base]
	nectary scales ciliate; NOT glabrous
	achenes in a cylindrical head; NOT in a globose head
	achenes pubescent; NOT glabrous

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

	plants NOT woody
	plants NOT climbing
	both basal and cauline leaves usually present; leaves NOT all basal
	cauline leaves NOT opposite
	flowers regular
	sepals NOT spurred
	petals usually present
	petals NOT spurred
	petals mostly yellow
	carpels 2 or more
	ovaries 1-ovuled
	fruit an achene; NOT a follicle, NOT a dry pod, NOT berry-like
	achenes in globose or cylindrical heads; NOT [in elongate, tapering heads]

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

	herbs; NOT shrubs, NOT trees
	plants NOT with colored milky juice
	plants with more than one normal leaf
	plants terrestrial or semi-aquatic; leaves NOT submerged, leaves NOT floating
	some or all leaves alternate
	leaves WITHOUT stipules
	flowers with two floral rings, and with each petal distinct from the others
	calyx regular, all sepals the same size
	stamens usually more than 10
	carpels separate; NOT united