Kingdom Plantae Family Ranunculaceae Scientific name Ranunculus gmelinii Rank Species | Order Ranunculales Genus Ranunculus Higher classification Buttercup | |
 | ||
Similar Buttercup, Ranunculaceae, Ranunculus macounii, Ranunculus flabellaris, Ranunculus lapponicus | ||
Ranunculus gmelinii, Gmelin's buttercup or small yellow water-crowfoot, is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. It is native to northern North America, where it occurs across Canada and the northern and higher-elevation regions of the United States. It is also present in Eurasia.
This species is a perennial herb growing prostrate stems on moist ground or floating stems in shallow water. It is hairy to hairless. The leaf blades are round or kidney-shaped and are divided into three parts that may be subdivided. The yellow petals are 4 to 14 millimeters long. Ranunculus gmelinii occurs in wetland habitats and on shorelines.
The plant is not a threatened species, but it becomes rare in the habitat on the edges of its range; it is protected as a threatened plant in the state of Maine, and var. hookeri is a state-listed endangered plant in Wisconsin. It is listed as an endangered species in Newfoundland and Labrador.
This species was named in honor of Johann Georg Gmelin (1709-1755).