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Nevada cinquefoil, Sierran woodbeauty

Deseret drymocallis or wood beauty

Caudex branches

short.

short.

Stems

tufted, (0.3–)1.5–6(–6.5) dm;

base 1–2.5 mm diam., not or sparsely, sometimes moderately, septate-glandular.

± tufted, (1.5–)2.5–6(–6.5) dm;

base 2–3(–4) diam., sparsely to densely septate-glandular.

Leaves

usually sparsely to moderately hairy, sometimes glabrate;

basal (2–)5–20(–30) cm, leaflet pairs (2–)3–4(–5);

terminal leaflet broadly obovate to cuneate, 1–4 × 0.7–3.5 cm, teeth usually single, 4–10(–14) per side, apex usually rounded to obtuse, rarely acute;

cauline 1–2, reduced, leaflet pairs 2–3.

sparsely hairy;

basal (5–)7–20 cm, leaflet pairs (2–)3;

terminal leaflet broadly obovate to rhombic, (1.5–)2–4 × (1–)1.5–3 cm, teeth single or double, 5–9 per side, apex acute to obtuse;

cauline 1–2, well developed, leaflet pairs 2–3.

Inflorescences

(2–)5–30(–50)-flowered, not leafy, open, (1/6–)1/5–1/2(–4/5) of stem, narrow to wide, branch angles 10–40(–50)°.

3–15(–20)-flowered, leafy, ± compact, (1/6–)1/5–1/3(–1/2) of stem, narrow, branch angles 10–20°.

Pedicels

2–10 (proximal to 30) mm, predominantly short-hairy, sometimes velutinous, not or sparsely, sometimes moderately, septate-glandular.

2–15 (proximal to 20) mm, predominantly short-hairy, often velutinous, not or sparsely to moderately septate-glandular.

Flowers

opening widely;

epicalyx bractlets linear-lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, 2–5 × 0.5–1.5 mm;

sepals spreading, 3–8(–9) mm, apex usually acute, sometimes obtuse and apiculate;

petals ± overlapping, spreading, cream-white to bright yellow, broadly obovate, (3–)4–8(–10) × 3–8 mm, usually longer than, rarely equal to, sepals;

filaments 1–3(–3.5) mm, anthers 0.6–1 mm;

styles thickened, 1 mm.

opening widely;

epicalyx bractlets linear to lanceolate or narrowly elliptic, (2.5–)3–8 × 0.5–2(–3) mm;

sepals spreading, (5–)6–12(–15) mm, apex usually acute, sometimes obtuse;

petals rarely overlapping, spreading, cream-white to light yellow, narrowly to broadly obovate, (4–)6–10 × (2.5–)3.5–6(–7) mm, usually shorter than sepals;

filaments 1–3 mm, anthers 0.8–1 mm;

styles very thickened, 1 mm.

Achenes

light brown, 1 mm.

light brown, 1.2–1.5 mm.

Drymocallis lactea

Drymocallis deseretica

Phenology Flowering (May–)Jun–Sep.
Habitat Openings among sagebrush, aspen, fir, and/or spruce forests, often where moist or rocky, below cliffs
Elevation 2000–3300 m (6600–10800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; NV; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
UT; WY
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Drymocallis lactea has had a well-established identity as Potentilla glandulosa var. (or subsp.) nevadensis; however, the epithet lactea has priority at species rank and avoids possible confusion with P. nevadensis Boissier. D. D. Keck (in J. Clausen et al. 1940) based his concept of P. glandulosa subsp. nevadensis on white-petaled plants with narrow inflorescences, the common form in the central Sierra Nevada and south. His map and annotations, however, include populations with yellow petals and widely branched inflorescences from northern California and adjacent Oregon. The two extremes merge in the northern Sierra Nevada, and populations in the North Coast Ranges of California also are problematic; the extremes are accordingly treated here as varieties of a single species. The inclusion by Keck of Washington in the species range might have been based on specimens here assigned to P. pseudorupestris.

Drymocallis lactea can be distinguished from sympatric species by its relatively large, overlapping petals, non-leafy inflorescences, and singly toothed leaflets. Pedicels and distal stems are usually densely short-hairy with relatively few or no glandular hairs (in contrast to D. pseudorupestris), and septate glands are usually absent from stem bases (in contrast to D. hansenii). The distinction between D. lactea and D. pseudorupestris breaks down at the margin of the species range in Nevada and Oregon.

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

Drymocallis deseretica is common in the Wasatch and western Uintah mountains of northern and central Utah, where it has usually been treated as Potentilla glandulosa var. intermedia (= D. glabrata) or P. glandulosa var. pseudorupestris (= D. pseudorupestris var. saxicola). It differs from both taxa in its more compact inflorescences, predominantly short-hairy pedicels, and sepals that conspicuously enlarge in fruit, which create a distinctive aspect. Comparable plants with shorter, obtuse sepals occur in the Raft River Mountains; their optimal placement remains to be determined. Inclusion of Wyoming in the species range is based on Goodding 1993 (UT) from Bridger Peak, Carbon County. Drymocallis deseretica intergrades with D. glabrata to the north and D. arizonica to the south, with the exact range yet to be determined.

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

Key
1. Inflorescences narrow, branch angles 10–20°; petals cream-white to pale yellowish; pedicels and stems not or sparsely septate-glandular.
var. lactea
1. Inflorescences wide, branch angles mostly 20–40°; petals usually pale to bright yellow; pedicels and stems sometimes moderately septate-glandular.
var. austiniae
Source FNA vol. 9, p. 287. FNA vol. 9, p. 291.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Drymocallis Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Drymocallis
Sibling taxa
D. arguta, D. arizonica, D. ashlandica, D. campanulata, D. convallaria, D. cuneifolia, D. deseretica, D. fissa, D. glabrata, D. glandulosa, D. hansenii, D. micropetala, D. pseudorupestris, D. rhomboidea
D. arguta, D. arizonica, D. ashlandica, D. campanulata, D. convallaria, D. cuneifolia, D. fissa, D. glabrata, D. glandulosa, D. hansenii, D. lactea, D. micropetala, D. pseudorupestris, D. rhomboidea
Subordinate taxa
D. lactea var. austiniae, D. lactea var. lactea
Synonyms Potentilla glandulosa var. lactea
Name authority (Greene) Rydberg: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 369. (1908) Ertter: J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 1: 41, fig. 2. (2007)
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