- = Ranunculus berggrenii Petrie, Trans. & Proc. New Zealand Inst. 19: 325 (1887)
- = Ranunculus tenuis Buchanan, Trans. & Proc. New Zealand Inst. 20: 255 (1887 [1888])
- = Ranunculus novae-zelandiae Petrie, Trans. & Proc. New Zealand Inst. 26: 266 (1893 [1894]) – as Ranunculus novæ-zelandiæ
- = Ranunculus poppelwellii Petrie in Poppelwell, Trans. New Zealand Inst. 47: 132 (1915) nom. nud.
- = Ranunculus novae-zelandiae var. repens Simpson & J.S.Thomson, Trans. & Proc. Roy. Soc. New Zealand 72: 21 (1942)
Tufted, glabrous perennial, 10–40 cm tall; rhizome stout. Lvs very variable, ovate to oblong, ternate or palmate, rarely ternatifid, coriaceous, 2–10–(20) cm long; leaflets varying from large and rounded with few shallow teeth to smaller and cut to the base into 3–7 narrow-cuneate incised or toothed or lobed segments; median lobe usually long-stalked; lateral lobes sessile or stalked. Stems 1–(3)-flowered. Fls 1.5–3 cm diam. Sepals spreading, glabrous. Petals 5, yellow, obovate-cuneate; nectary single, 1–2 mm from petal base, partly enclosed by a split tubular or semilunar scale. Receptacle glabrous. Achenes 20–50, turgid, glabrous; body 1.5–2 mm long; beak straight or slightly curved, 1–1.5 mm long.
[From: Webb et al. (1988) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 4.]
Flowering: Dec.–Feb.; Fruiting: Jan.–Mar.