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English cinquefoil, potentille d'angleterre, trailing cinquefoil, trailing tormentil, wood cinquefoil

biennial cinquefoil, biennial or Greene's cinquefoil, Greene's cinquefoil

Stems

soon becoming prostrate, ± flagelliform, usually openly branched, eventually rooting at some nodes, (0.3–)1.5–7+ dm.

ascending to erect, (1–)2–6(–8.5) dm, hairs at base not stiff, not tubercle-based, glands sparse to abundant, conspicuous (to 1 mm, septate).

Leaves

ternate, (2–)4–12(–25) cm;

petiole (1–)2–8(–20) cm, long hairs sparse to common, spreading to ascending, 0.5–1.5(–3) mm, weak, crisped hairs usually absent, glands sparse to abundant, conspicuous (to 1 mm, septate);

leaflets 3, at tip of leaf axis, usually overlapping, largest ones mostly obovate or oval to nearly round, (0.5–)1–3(–4) × 0.3–3(–3.5) cm, distal 3/4 to ± whole margin evenly to unevenly incised 1/4–1/3(–1/2) to midvein, teeth 3–8(–13) per side, surfaces sparsely to moderately hairy, rarely glabrate, glands sparse to abundant at least abaxially.

Basal leaves

± persistent, ternate or palmate, 2–10(–12) cm;

petiole 1–7(–8) cm, long hairs sparse to abundant, appressed, 0.5–1 mm, stiff, glands absent;

leaflets 3–5, central ± obovate to cuneate, 1–3(–3.5) × 0.8–2(–2.5) cm, distal ± 1/2 of margin incised 1/4–1/3(–1/2) to midvein, teeth 2–4 per side, surfaces similar, green, sparsely to moderately hairy.

Cauline leaves

2–3(–4) proximal to 1st flowering or branching node, usually well expanded at anthesis, usually ternate, 2–6(–10) cm;

petiole 0.3–4(–8) cm;

leaflets (3–)5, ± resembling or narrower than those of basal leaves, narrowly cuneate, 1–2(–3.5) × 0.8–2(–2.5) cm, apex rounded to obtuse.

Inflorescences

solitary flowers at stolon nodes.

(10–)20–70+-flowered.

Pedicels

(1–)3–10(–17) cm.

0.2–1(–2) cm.

Flowers

4(–5)-merous;

epicalyx bractlets narrowly elliptic to oblong or ovate, 3–4(–7) × 1–1.5 mm, smaller than to slightly larger than sepals;

hypanthium 2–4 mm diam.;

sepals (3–)4–6 mm, apex broadly acute or acuminate;

petals 6–9 × 5–9 mm, apex ± retuse;

stamens 15–20, filaments 0.8–1.2 mm, anthers 0.8–1.2 mm;

carpels 20–50, styles 0.9–1.5 mm.

epicalyx bractlets narrowly oblanceolate to narrowly obovate or elliptic, (1.5–)2–3.5(–4.5) × 0.5–1.5(–2) mm;

hypanthium (2–)3–4(–5.5) mm diam.;

sepals (2–)3–5 mm, apex broadly acute to obtuse;

petals pale yellow to yellow, broadly oblanceolate to obovate, (1–)2–2.7 × 1.5 mm;

stamens 10 or 15, filaments 0.5–1.2 mm, anthers 0.2–0.3 mm;

carpels 40–100, styles 0.5–0.7 mm.

Achenes

1–1.5(–1.8) mm, ± smooth.

whitish or pale yellowish, 0.5–0.9 mm, smooth, without a corky protuberance.

Rootstocks

± erect, stout to slender, 1–4 cm.

2n

= 28, 56 (Europe).

Potentilla anglica

Potentilla biennis

Phenology Flowering May–Aug(–Nov). Flowering summer.
Habitat Moist flats and slopes, mainly on acidic soil Moist meadows, stream banks, ditches, seepages
Elevation 0–1200 m (0–3900 ft) 400–3100 m (1300–10200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; CO; ME; NY; OR; PA; UT; WA; BC; NL; NS; QC; SPM; Europe [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Atlantic Islands (Azores, Madeira), Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; AZ; CA; CO; ID; MT; ND; NM; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; SK; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Potentilla anglica apparently is a product of hybridization involving P. erecta and P. reptans (B. Matfield and J. R. Ellis 1972) that has become stabilized and distinct from both parents. In Europe, it forms back-cross hybrids with both P. erecta (P. ×suberecta Zimmeter) and P. reptans (P. ×mixta Nolte); these hybrids are not known from North America. A garden hybrid supposedly between P. anglica and P. nepalensis Hooker (known as P. ×tonguei Mallett) was found in Allegany State Park, New York, but this was likely cultivated rather than naturalized.

Potentilla anglica probably was introduced even in Newfoundland (A. Kurtto et al. in J. Jalas et al. 1972+, vol. 13), contrary to the view expressed by M. L. Fernald (1950).

The name Potentilla procumbens Sibthorp was previously used for this species; that is a superfluous and illegitimate name.

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

Potentilla biennis may be recognized by its septate hairs with a round, terminal gland, which dominate the vestiture especially at the base of the plant. Stems are more commonly erect and leaflets rounder than those of P. rivalis. The species is most common along the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada of California, across the Intermountain Region to the Rocky Mountains. All specimens seen by the authors from Baja California, Mexico, which were previously referred to P. biennis are now assigned to P. rivalis.

J. Soják (1996) lectotypified Potentilla millegrana Engelmann ex Lehmann upon a collection of P. rivalis, thus preventing P. biennis from being a later taxonomic synonym.

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

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 135. FNA vol. 9, p. 140.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Potentilla Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Rivales
Sibling taxa
P. albiflora, P. ambigens, P. anachoretica, P. angelliae, P. anserina, P. arenosa, P. argentea, P. arizonica, P. basaltica, P. bicrenata, P. biennis, P. biflora, P. bimundorum, P. bipinnatifida, P. brevifolia, P. breweri, P. bruceae, P. brunnescens, P. canadensis, P. concinna, P. cottamii, P. crantzii, P. crebridens, P. crinita, P. cristae, P. demotica, P. drummondii, P. effusa, P. elegans, P. erecta, P. flabellifolia, P. fragiformis, P. furcata, P. glaucophylla, P. gracilis, P. grayi, P. hickmanii, P. hippiana, P. holmgrenii, P. hookeriana, P. hyparctica, P. inclinata, P. intermedia, P. jepsonii, P. johnstonii, P. lasiodonta, P. litoralis, P. macounii, P. millefolia, P. modesta, P. morefieldii, P. multijuga, P. multisecta, P. nana, P. newberryi, P. nivea, P. norvegica, P. ovina, P. paucijuga, P. pedersenii, P. pensylvanica, P. plattensis, P. pseudosericea, P. pulchella, P. pulcherrima, P. recta, P. reptans, P. rhyolitica, P. rimicola, P. rivalis, P. robbinsiana, P. rubella, P. rubricaulis, P. sanguinea, P. saximontana, P. sierrae-blancae, P. simplex, P. sterilis, P. stipularis, P. subgorodkovii, P. subjuga, P. subvahliana, P. subviscosa, P. supina, P. thurberi, P. thuringiaca, P. tikhomirovii, P. townsendii, P. uliginosa, P. uschakovii, P. vahliana, P. verna, P. versicolor, P. villosa, P. villosula, P. vulcanicola, P. wheeleri
P. albiflora, P. ambigens, P. anachoretica, P. angelliae, P. anglica, P. anserina, P. arenosa, P. argentea, P. arizonica, P. basaltica, P. bicrenata, P. biflora, P. bimundorum, P. bipinnatifida, P. brevifolia, P. breweri, P. bruceae, P. brunnescens, P. canadensis, P. concinna, P. cottamii, P. crantzii, P. crebridens, P. crinita, P. cristae, P. demotica, P. drummondii, P. effusa, P. elegans, P. erecta, P. flabellifolia, P. fragiformis, P. furcata, P. glaucophylla, P. gracilis, P. grayi, P. hickmanii, P. hippiana, P. holmgrenii, P. hookeriana, P. hyparctica, P. inclinata, P. intermedia, P. jepsonii, P. johnstonii, P. lasiodonta, P. litoralis, P. macounii, P. millefolia, P. modesta, P. morefieldii, P. multijuga, P. multisecta, P. nana, P. newberryi, P. nivea, P. norvegica, P. ovina, P. paucijuga, P. pedersenii, P. pensylvanica, P. plattensis, P. pseudosericea, P. pulchella, P. pulcherrima, P. recta, P. reptans, P. rhyolitica, P. rimicola, P. rivalis, P. robbinsiana, P. rubella, P. rubricaulis, P. sanguinea, P. saximontana, P. sierrae-blancae, P. simplex, P. sterilis, P. stipularis, P. subgorodkovii, P. subjuga, P. subvahliana, P. subviscosa, P. supina, P. thurberi, P. thuringiaca, P. tikhomirovii, P. townsendii, P. uliginosa, P. uschakovii, P. vahliana, P. verna, P. versicolor, P. villosa, P. villosula, P. vulcanicola, P. wheeleri
Name authority Laicharding: Veg. Europ. 1: 475. (1790) Greene: Fl. Francisc., 65. (1891)
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