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

featherleaf cinquefoil, Great Basin cinquefoil

Stems

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

0.5–2(–2.7) dm, lengths 1–2(–3) times basal leaves.

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.

usually palmate, sometimes subpalmate, 3–12(–15) cm;

petiole 1–6(–13) cm, straight hairs ± abundant, ± appressed, 1–1.5 mm, stiff, cottony hairs absent, glands absent or sparse;

leaflets (3–)5, usually on tip, sometimes to distal 1/4 of leaf axis, ± overlapping, proximal pair separated from others by 0–10 mm of leaf axis, central leaflets ± obovate, 1–2.5(–4) × (0.5–)1–1.5(–2) cm, petiolule 0–2 mm, distal 1/2+ of margins incised 3/4+ to midvein, teeth 2–5 per side, separate, 3–10(–14) mm, surfaces similar, green to grayish, straight hairs sparse to abundant, appressed, 1–1.5 mm, usually stiff, short crisped hairs sometimes present, cottony hairs absent, glands absent or sparse.

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.

(1–)2–6(–10)-flowered.

Pedicels

(1–)3–10(–17) cm.

1–3(–4) 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 lanceolate-elliptic to narrowly ovate, 2–4 × 1–1.5 mm;

hypanthium 3–5 mm diam.;

sepals 3–5(–6) mm, apex ± acute;

petals (2.5–)5–7 × (2–)4–5 mm;

filaments 1–2 mm, anthers 0.6–1 mm;

carpels 5–20, styles 2–3 mm.

Achenes

1–1.5(–1.8) mm, ± smooth.

2–2.5 mm, smooth.

Rootstocks

± erect, stout to slender, 1–4 cm.

2n

= 28, 56 (Europe).

Potentilla anglica

Potentilla multisecta

Phenology Flowering May–Aug(–Nov). Flowering summer.
Habitat Moist flats and slopes, mainly on acidic soil Rocky slopes, dry meadows, in sagebrush scrub, pinyon-juniper woodlands, limber pine woodlands
Elevation 0–1200 m (0–3900 ft) 2100–3500 m (6900–11500 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
ID; MT; NV; UT; WY
[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.)

The center of distribution of Potentilla multisecta is northeastern Nevada and northwestern Utah; the best disposition of more northern populations, which tend to be hairier and more compact, is unresolved. Populations in eastern Idaho, southwestern Montana, and western Wyoming are components of an unresolved zone of apparent intergradation that also includes P. ovina var. ovina (sect. Multijugae), P. glaucophylla var. perdissecta (sect. Graciles), and members of sect. Subjugae. Significant variation also exists among populations in Nevada and Utah. Not included here are some subpalmate collections from Saskatchewan that would key to P. multisecta (for example, A. Breitung 4045, MO, RM), whose optimum disposition has yet to be resolved.

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

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 135. FNA vol. 9, p. 181.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Potentilla Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Concinnae
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. 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. 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
Synonyms P. diversifolia var. multisecta
Name authority Laicharding: Veg. Europ. 1: 475. (1790) (S. Watson) Rydberg: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 23: 397. (1896)
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