Potentilla anglica
Potentilla bimundorum
English cinquefoil, potentille d'angleterre, trailing cinquefoil, trailing tormentil, wood cinquefoil
cutleaf cinquefoil, potentille des deux mondes, staghorn cinquefoil
soon becoming prostrate, ± flagelliform, usually openly branched, eventually rooting at some nodes, (0.3–)1.5–7+ dm.
decumbent to ascending, rarely erect, 1–5 dm.
± 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.
subpinnate, 7–22(–25) cm;
petiole 3–12(–15) cm, long hairs ± abundant, appressed to ascending, 0.5–3 mm, stiff, short hairs absent, cottony or crisped hairs absent, glands absent or sparse;
leaflets 3(–4) per side, on distal 1/5–1/3(–1/2) of leaf axis, overlapping or not, terminal ones oblong to broadly oblong, 1.5–5 × 0.7–2 cm, margins strongly revolute, incised nearly to midvein, undivided medial blade 1–3 mm wide, teeth (3–)4–5 per side, linear, rarely narrowly oblong to narrowly lanceolate, surfaces strongly dissimilar, abaxial white or grayish white, long hairs abundant, ± 1 mm, stiff verrucose on veins, sparse and soft between veins, short hairs absent, crisped and cottony hairs dense, glands absent, adaxial dark green, long hairs sparse to common, tightly appressed, 0.5–1 mm, short hairs absent, cottony and crisped hairs absent, glands absent or sparse.
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.
(1–)2–3.
solitary flowers at stolon nodes.
(5–)10–40+-flowered, ± congested to open.
(1–)3–10(–17) cm.
0.3–1 cm (proximal to 3 cm).
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 linear to narrowly oblong-lanceolate, 3–5 × 0.9–1.3 mm, lengths ± 3/4 times sepals, margins flat;
hypanthium 2.5–3.5 mm diam.;
sepals 4–7(–8) mm, apex acute to obtuse, abaxial surfaces: venation prominent at least proximally, glands ± sparse, obscured to evident;
petals pale yellow, 3.5–5 × 3–5 mm, lengths ± equal to sepals;
filaments 0.5–1.5 mm, anthers 0.5–0.6 mm;
carpels 40–60, styles papillate-swollen at very base, if at all, 0.8–0.9 mm.
1–1.5(–1.8) mm, ± smooth.
1.3–1.5 mm, rugose.
± erect, stout to slender, 1–4 cm.
= 28, 56 (Europe).
= 28.
Potentilla anglica
Potentilla bimundorum
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 bimundorum is the correct name for what has been treated as P. multifida Linnaeus in North America. It is the only American representative of the mainly Eurasian P. multifida group, which is sometimes treated as a distinct section. J. Soják (2005) presented a useful survey and key to this group, showing that its species, in spite of being merged within P. multifida in the broad sense by many authors, are each distinct and with their own range. Potentilla multifida in the narrow sense is restricted to eastern Europe and western Siberia.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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