Ranunculus muelleri
Benth. Felted ButtercupPerennial with fibrous roots. Leaves tufted at base; petioles 1–9 cm long, densely covered with fine appressed hairs; lamina elliptic to obovate, 8–30 mm long, usually entire, occasionally with 1 or 2 shallow incisions near apex, rather densely covered with stiff, appressed to spreading hairs, shorter and denser around margin and on lower surface. Flowering stems erect, exceeding leaves, to c. 12 cm high, densely covered with short appressed hairs, 1-flowered; sepals 5, spreading, ovate to elliptic, c. 5–12 mm long, appressed-hairy on back; petals 5, obovate-cuneate, c. 1–2 cm long, 5–9 mm wide, yellow, glossy; nectary a minute raised shelf, rarely with a triangular lobe to c. 0.5 mm long; stamens c. 20–70. Achenes usually c. 40–80, elliptic, lenticular, 2–3 mm long, smooth on sides; beak c. 1–2 mm long, straight, or usually with a short apical hook; receptacle sparsely hispid between achenes, glabrous in the staminal zone. Flowers Dec.–Jan.
NIS, HNF, VAlp. Also NSW. Of very restricted occurrence on the Bogong High Plains (e.g. Mt Bogong, Mt Jim, Basalt Hill areas), favouring exposed sites, usually with shallow soils overlaying basalt.
Ranunculus acrophilus B.G.Briggs is closely related to this species, and was previously included as R. muelleri var. brevicaulis B.G. Briggs. R. acrophilus is endemic in feldmark communities on exposed shaley ridges near Mt Kosciusko.