Glaberrimus var. ellipticus:  Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora and Flora of Alberta leading to this species and variety. terrestrial plants; NOT aquatic plants, NOT mud plants plants mostly with erect stems; plants NOT creeping, plants NOT with stolons, NOT with runners plants generally less than 1.5 dm tall plants glabrous or nearly so; NOT hairy leaves NOT mostly floating, NOT submerged leaves all, or in part, deeply lobed to compound; leaves NOT [entire or merely toothed] leaves NOT finely dissected basal and cauline leaves distinctly unlike, some or all of the basal leaves merely toothed (or entire), most of the cauline leaves deeply cleft and sessile or subsessile; NOT [basal and cauline leaves all deeply incised or divided into distinct segments, the cauline smaller or with fewer segments or with shorter petioles] basal leaves elliptic to lanceolate, entire; NOT linear-lanceolate to filiform, NOT [ovate to rhomboid, reniform], NOT deeply divided stem leaves lobed early flowering sepals usually 5; NOT 3 sepals lavender tinged on the back petals longer and wider than the sepals petals 6-15 mm long; NOT 1.5-3 mm long, NOT 5-9 mm long petals yellow; NOT [white, sometimes yellowish at base] achenes in a globose head; NOT in a cylindrical head achenes glabrous; NOT densely hairy

 

Ranunculus: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora and Flora of Alberta leading to this genus.  plants NOT climbing both basal and stem leaves usually present; leaves NOT all basal leaves either basal or alternate; NOT opposite leaves with segments mostly toothed, acute; leaves NOT [all 3-lobed with lobes entire, rounded] flowers regular; sepals NOT spurred petals usually present (yellow or whitish) carpels 1-ovuled; NOT with several ovules fruit an achene; NOT a follicle, NOT a dry pod, NOT berry-like

Ranunculaceae: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora leading to this family.  These answers do not apply to all members of the Ranunculaceae family found in the Canadian prairies, but they do apply to this species. herbs; NOT shrubs, NOT trees plants NOT with colored milky juice plants with more than one normal leaf; leaves NOT used to catch insects, NOT spiny plants with absent or inconspicuous leaves plants terrestrial or semi-aquatic; NOT with submerged leaves, NOT with floating leaves 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