The large river buttercup is an upright perennial herb 10–25 cm in height with underground stolons.

The flowering stems are slender and erect, 3–30 cm in height.

The three primary segments each have 3–5 lobes or teeth, or are rarely entire.

It usually has 12–36 achenes, 1.7–3.6 mm long, with the lateral faces irregularly wrinkled or pitted, or rarely smooth, and when mature often pale and thickened along the dorsal ridge.

It occurs in freshwater wetland environments, on mud or in pools.