Ranunculus parnassifolius

Perennial of the buttercup family, found in the Alps, the Pyrenees, and the mountains of the Iberian Peninsula. It is strictly confined to mobile calcareous screes and high-altitude rock fields, generally between 1800 and 3000 meters, where it settles in the crevices of slabs and blocks, benefiting from the coolness and moisture that prevail in depth.

The plant is low, from 5 to 15 cm, and is immediately distinguished from all other European buttercups by its entire, oval to heart-shaped leaves, reminiscent of the leaves of the marsh Parnassia, of a glaucous to bluish green, slightly pubescent. This atypical foliage, without any cut, is the most striking feature of the species.

The flowers are pure white, sometimes slightly pink in bud or as they age, with a bright yellow center formed by numerous stamens. They are borne on slender, erect stems, above the foliage.

In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from July to August. In cultivation, it blooms from June to July.

It requires perfect drainage, an open calcareous substrate, and some root coolness, conditions that only cultivation in scree or alpine trough faithfully reproduces. A sought-after collector's plant, it remains delicate to establish outside its natural environment.