Flower:

Usually a single flower, occasionally more, at the end of a stem covered in flattened hairs. Flowers are ½ to 1 inch across with (usually) 5 shiny yellow petals rounded at the tip and streaked with green at the base. Petals are typically longer than wide but the width can vary greatly, perhaps with age. Behind the petals are 5 yellowish-green sepals, shorter than the petals, with pointed tips and also covered in flattened hairs. Numerous yellow stamens surround the yellowish center that turns green with maturity. A plant has 1 to several flowers.

Leaves and stems:

Leaves are mostly basal, mostly compound in groups of 3 or 5, on stems up to 4 inches long. Leaflets are up to 1 inch long, mostly lobed in 3 to 5 parts, with lobes often further divided or notched, and blunt or rounded tips, sometimes with a tiny sharp point. Leaf and flowering stems are covered in flattened hairs but may become smooth with age. The few alternate leaves on the flowering stems are mostly lobed in 3 narrow parts.

Notes:

The common name Early Buttercup is appropriate, as it is probably the first yellow buttercup to bloom in spring. It is typically found growing in scattered colonies. Several references say the petals are narrow, but there was a wide disparity in the population where these photos were taken. The early leaves might be mistaken for Ranunculus hispidus (Hispid Buttercup), but that is a much larger plant with larger leaves and likes moister habitats.