Rootstocks horizontal, irregularly thickened or moniliform, 1–8 cm. Stems initially erect to ascending ?to 5 dm?, then arching above ground-level, becoming prostrate, flagelliform, not branched, rooting at distal nodes, (0.5–)1.5–12 dm. Basal leaves persistent or ephemeral, usually palmate, 3.5–20 cm; petiole 1–15 cm, long hairs ± abundant, appressed to spreading, (0.5–)1–3 mm, weak to ± stiff, glands absent or sparse, sometimes common; leaflets 5(–7), central narrowly elliptic to obovate, 1.5–5 × 0.5–2.5 cm, distal 1/2–3/4 of margin incised 1/4–1/3 to midvein, teeth 4–8(–13) per side, surfaces similar to ± dissimilar, abaxial green to silvery white, sparsely to abundantly hairy, adaxial green, glabrate or sparsely to moderately hairy. Cauline leaves (0–)1 proximal to 1st flowering node, well expanded at anthesis, usually palmate, 2.5–6(–9) cm; petiole 0–2(–4) cm; leaflets (3–)5, often more elongate than those of basal leaves, ?± elliptic to oblanceolate, sometimes obovate, 1.5–6(–7.5) × 0.5–2(–3) cm?, apex acute to obtuse. Inflorescences solitary flowers at stolon nodes. Pedicels 1–5(–8.5) cm. Flowers 5(–6)-merous; epicalyx bractlets linear to narrowly lanceolate, 2–5 × 1–1.5(–2) mm, often larger than sepals (especially in bud); hypanthium 3–5 mm diam.; sepals 4–6 mm, apex broadly acute; petals 4–7 × 3–6 mm, apex rounded to ± retuse; stamens ca. 20, filaments 0.5–2 mm, anthers 0.6–1 mm; carpels 20–50, styles 0.8–1.5 mm. Achenes 0.9–1.2 mm, faintly rugose.
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Stems and basal lvs from a short rhizome to 8 cm, the stems slender, with long internodes, villous to glabrate, at first erect and often 2–3 dm tall at first flowering, but soon widely ascending, eventually arching to the ground and producing a terminal tuber; lfls 5, oblanceolate to elliptic or obovate, to 7 cm, evidently toothed; fls yellow, 10–15 mm wide, solitary on slender axillary pedicels, the lowest one usually in the axil of the second well developed cauline lf; anthers 0.6–1.0 mm. Dry woods and fields; Nf. and Que. to Minn., s. to Ala. and Tex. Apr.–June.
Locally common in dry open woods, prairie hillsides, roadsides, old fields and waste places.
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