aka Ranunculus suksdorfii, Spruce-fir Buttercup, Mountain Buttercup, Snowpatch Buttercup. Usually grows in low tufts with stems often just 2″ – 4″ (5 – 10 cm) each bearing 1 – 3 flowers with five waxy yellow or yellow-orange petals. The brilliance of Buttercup petals is due in part to an layer of cells with white starch granules under the outer cells. An early bloomer often seen at the edge of melting snow in mountain meadows. Usually found between 4,500′ to 7,000′ elevation.