Ranunculus bupleuroides

Perennial of the Ranunculaceae family, this buttercup of uncertain determination was photographed in the Picos de Europa, in northern Spain, in the Cantabrian Mountains. Precise identification at the specific level could not be established with certainty; it is provisionally associated with Ranunculus bupleuroides, an Iberian species with narrow leaves, pending confirmation by a botanist specializing in Cantabrian flora.

The plant occupies short alpine grasslands, probably between 1800 and 2400 meters, on siliceous or mixed substrate, in conditions of heavy winter snowfall. Its flowering occurs as soon as the thaw begins, with bright yellow flowers emerging directly at the edge of the alpine turf.

The flowers, solitary on very short and slender stems, are of an intense bright yellow, with rounded petals. The foliage is narrow and linear. The entire plant remains very low, barely rising above the surrounding grassland.

In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from June to July depending on altitude and exposure.