Potentilla anglica
Potentilla pedersenii
English cinquefoil, potentille d'angleterre, trailing cinquefoil, trailing tormentil, wood cinquefoil
not sheathed with marcescent whole leaves.
soon becoming prostrate, ± flagelliform, usually openly branched, eventually rooting at some nodes, (0.3–)1.5–7+ dm.
ascending to nearly erect, 0.4–2 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.
often both ternate and palmate or subpalmate on same plant, 2.5–4 cm;
petiole 1.5–2.5 cm, long hairs common to abundant, loosely appressed to ascending-spreading, 1–2 mm, weak to ± stiff, verrucose, crisped(/short) hairs absent or sparse to common, cottony hairs absent, glands sparse to common;
leaflets 3–5, proximalmost separated by 0–2 mm, central broadly elliptic to obovate, 1–1.5 × 0.5–0.9 cm, petiolules 1–2 mm, distal 2/3–3/4 of margin incised 1/2–3/4 to midvein, teeth (2–)3–4 per side, 4–6 mm, apical tufts ± 1 mm, abaxial surfaces grayish white to white, long hairs abundant (sometimes obscuring entire surface), cottony-crisped hairs abundant to dense, short hairs absent or obscured, glands sparse to common but usually obscured, adaxial grayish green to gray, long hairs sparse to abundant, 1–1.5(–2) mm, ± weak, short (short-crisped) hairs absent or sparse, rarely common, cottony hairs absent, glands absent or sparse, rarely common.
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.
0–2.
solitary flowers at stolon nodes.
(1–)3–7-flowered, open, branch angle 30–50°.
(1–)3–10(–17) cm.
1–2 cm, proximal to 4 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 narrowly ovate to elliptic, 4–5 × 1–1.4 mm;
hypanthium 3–4 mm diam.;
sepals 4–6 mm, apex subacute to acute, glands sparse to common, usually not obscured;
petals pale yellow, usually not overlapping, 6–7 × 4–8 mm, distinctly longer than sepals;
filaments 1–2 mm, anthers ± 0.4 mm;
carpels 40–80, styles 0.8–0.9 mm.
1–1.5(–1.8) mm, ± smooth.
1.1–1.2 mm.
± erect, stout to slender, 1–4 cm.
= 28, 56 (Europe).
Potentilla anglica
Potentilla pedersenii
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 pedersenii and P. uschakovii account for the majority of arctic populations previously included in a broadly defined P. rubricaulis. The diagnostic morphological characters between the two species can be variable and overlapping; they are treated separately in part because of differences in presumed parental combinations. Whereas P. pulchella is the probable sect. Pensylvanicae parent for both species, the putative sect. Niveae parent for P. pedersenii is P. arenosa subsp. arenosa; that of P. uschakovii is P. subvahliana. Reflecting this parentage, P. pedersenii is distinguished by caudex branches with no marcescent whole leaves, verrucose long hairs on petioles, and inflorescences with usually several relatively small flowers. In contrast, P. uschakovii often has marcescent whole leaves sheathing the caudex branches, smooth long hairs on petioles, and one- or few-flowered inflorescences with mostly larger flowers. These generalities aside, there is much variation within both species, such that each island or population group may have its own features; it is probable that both P. pedersenii and P. uschakovii have evolved from multiple hybridization events.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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