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Nevada cinquefoil, Sierran woodbeauty

Hansen's cinquefoil, Hansen's drymocallis or wood beauty, Yosemite woodbeauty

Caudex branches

short.

short to elongate.

Stems

tufted, (0.3–)1.5–6(–6.5) dm;

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

usually solitary, sometimes loosely tufted, (3–)4–9 dm;

base (1–)2–4 mm diam., moderately 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 to moderately hairy;

basal (7–)10–25(–30) cm, leaflet pairs 3–4;

terminal leaflet broadly obovate, 2–5(–6) × 1.5–3.5(–4) cm, teeth single or double, 6–11 per side, apex usually rounded, sometimes obtuse;

cauline 1–3, proximally well developed, leaflet pairs 2–4.

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)°.

10–20(–40)-flowered, not leafy, open, 1/4–2/3 of stem, narrow, branch angles 10–30°.

Pedicels

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

2–8 (proximal to 20) mm, predominantly short-hairy, 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 narrowly elliptic, 2–4 × 0.5–1 mm;

sepals spreading, 5–8 mm, apex acute to acuminate;

petals overlapping or not, spreading, cream-white to pale yellow, broadly obovate, 4–6 × 3–6 mm, usually longer than, sometimes equal to, sepals;

filaments 1.5–2.5(–3) mm, anthers 0.8–1 mm;

styles thickened, 0.8–1.2 mm.

Achenes

light brown, 1 mm.

light brown, 0.7–1 mm.

2n

= 14.

Drymocallis lactea

Drymocallis hansenii

Phenology Flowering Jun–Sep.
Habitat Moist ground, meadows, open forests, streamsides
Elevation 1200–1900(–2200) m (3900–6200(–7200) ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; NV; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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.)

D. D. Keck (in J. Clausen et al. 1940) speculated that Drymocallis hansenii was the stabilized recombinant of D. glandulosa var. reflexa and D. lactea. Alternatively, it may represent the California counterpart of D. convallaria, because it tends to have tall, thick-based, single stems and narrow inflorescences. The species is centered in the west-central Sierra Nevada of California, usually occurring in moist meadows and equivalent habitats. Plants near Lake Tahoe, which provide the high-elevation extreme, combine the smaller stature of D. lactea and the glandular-septate stem bases of D. hansenii; their optimal taxonomic disposition is uncertain.

(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. 287.
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. deseretica, D. fissa, D. glabrata, D. glandulosa, D. lactea, D. micropetala, D. pseudorupestris, D. rhomboidea
Subordinate taxa
D. lactea var. austiniae, D. lactea var. lactea
Synonyms Potentilla glandulosa var. lactea Potentilla hansenii, D. glandulosa subsp. hansenii, P. glandulosa subsp. hansenii
Name authority (Greene) Rydberg: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 369. (1908) (Greene) Rydberg: Monogr. N. Amer. Potentilleae, 200. (1898)
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