Syn.: Hecatonia alpestris Schur, Leuconoe alpestris Fourr.
Family: Ranunculaceae Juss.
Distribution: Mountains of central and southern Europe – the Pyrenees, Alps, Jura, Apennines, Carpathians.
Ecology: It grows on rocks, in rock crevices, also in rubble and around the edges of late snow patches, on limestone or silicate soils, in subalpine and alpine zones. It blooms from May to August.
Description: Perennial herb, caespitose, 5–12 cm tall. Stem erect, glabrous. Basal leaves shortly petiolate, 3–5-lobed, rounded in outline, deeply crenate, shiny; cauline leaves differing from basal, 1 or 2, linear. Flowers solitary or 2–3, 20–25 mm in diameter; sepals glabrous; honey-leaves obcordate, white. The fruit is an achene, c. 1.5 mm, with a slender beak.
Threat and protection: The Alpine Buttercup is protected by law in Slovakia.
These images were taken in Slovakia, Malá Fatra, Veľký Kriváň (June 14, 2004).
