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alpine lady's mantle

gleaming lady's mantle

Habit Plants dwarfed, green to dark green, carpet-forming, 5–20 cm, rarely taller. Plants medium-sized, dark green, often somewhat sericeous (abaxial surface of leaves), sometimes reddish brown, especially on exposed distal part of stems and inflorescences, to 50 cm.
Stems

appressed- to ascending-hairy.

usually densely spreading- to slightly ascending-hairy, usually glabrous in distal 1/2.

Leaves

stipules translucent, quickly turning brownish;

blade ± orbiculate, palmately compound, leaflets 5–7, narrowly elliptic to oblanceolate, apices with 7–11 teeth, margins flat, abaxial surface sericeous, adaxial shiny, glabrous.

stipules translucent, strongly wine red-tinged proximally, lobes pale green, sometimes suffused wine red;

petiole densely spreading- or slightly ascending-hairy (especially in distal 1/3);

blade usually reniform to orbiculate, 7–9-lobed, margins flat, sometimes slightly undulate, basal sinuses relatively wide or narrow, basal lobes not overlapping, middle lobes rounded, as long as to longer than their half-widths, to as long as wide and with straight sides;

incisions usually absent or relatively short;

teeth usually slightly connivent, almost symmetric to ± asymmetric, apex acute, abaxial surface with nerves hairy throughout, internerve regions uniformly or irregularly hairy, adaxial densely appressed-hairy throughout.

Inflorescences

primary branches densely appressed-hairy.

primary branches often sparsely, sometimes densely, ascending-hairy;

peduncles glabrous or hairy.

Pedicels

usually shorter than hypanthia, densely appressed-hairy.

glabrous or some of the proximal hairy.

Flowers

epicalyx bractlet lengths 0.5 or less times sepals;

hypanthium densely pubescent;

sepals erect after flowering.

dark green, often becoming reddish;

epicalyx bractlet lengths 0.5+ times sepals (narrower);

hypanthium attenuate at base, usually glabrous, rarely sparsely hairy (in proximal flowers).

Achenes

not exserted.

not exserted.

Alchemilla alpina

Alchemilla micans

Phenology Flowering mid Jun–mid Sep. Flowering late May–Sep.
Habitat Meadows, herb slopes, moist rock ledges Meadows, moist sand
Elevation 0–500(–1000) m (0–1600(–3300) ft) 0–400 m (0–1300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
NF; SPM; Greenland; Europe
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ME; NY; NF; NS; QC; Europe [Introduced in North America]
Discussion

In the flora area, Alchemilla alpina is possibly introduced except in Greenland.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Alchemilla micans has been widely known as A. gracilis Opiz; the type of that name is referable to A. monticola, a species that the original description also fits better.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 305. FNA vol. 9, p. 308.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Alchemilla Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Alchemilla
Sibling taxa
A. filicaulis, A. glabra, A. glaucescens, A. glomerulans, A. micans, A. mollis, A. monticola, A. subcrenata, A. venosa, A. wichurae, A. xanthochlora
A. alpina, A. filicaulis, A. glabra, A. glaucescens, A. glomerulans, A. mollis, A. monticola, A. subcrenata, A. venosa, A. wichurae, A. xanthochlora
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 123. (1753) Buser: Bull. Herb. Boissier 1(app. 2): 28. (1893)
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