Potentilla argentea
Potentilla albiflora
hoary cinquefoil, potentille argentée, silver cinquefoil, silver-leaf cinquefoil, silvery cinquefoil
Pinaleño cinquefoil, whiteflower cinquefoil
mostly decumbent to ascending, 1–6 dm.
0.2–1.5 dm.
palmate.
ternate, 1.5–10 cm;
petiole 1–7 cm, long hairs ± abundant, spreading to ascending, 0.5–1(–1.5) mm, weak to stiff, glands sparse to abundant;
leaflets 3, central obovate, 0.5–2.5(–3.5) × 0.4–1.3(–2) cm, not to scarcely petiolulate, distal 1/2–2/3 of margins evenly incised ± 1/3 to midvein, teeth 3–5(–6) per side, surfaces green, long hairs ± abundant, 0.5–1 mm, glands sparse to abundant.
2–9, proximal ones 2–7(–10) cm;
proximal petioles 1–4(–7) cm, long hairs absent or sparse, ± ascending, 1–2 mm, soft, short and crisped hairs absent or obscured, cottony hairs dense, glands absent or obscured;
leaflets 5(–7), central one ± oblanceolate, (0.5–)1–3 × 0.3–1(–1.3) cm, margins revolute, distal 1/2–2/3 evenly or unevenly incised 1/2–3/4+ to midvein, teeth 2–3 per side (more if lobed or secondarily toothed), surfaces strongly dissimilar, abaxial white, long hairs ± sparse (mostly on veins), 1–2 mm, weak, short and crisped hairs absent or obscured, cottony hairs dense, glands absent or obscured, adaxial long hairs absent or sparse to common, short or crisped hairs absent or sparse, cottony hairs absent, glands absent or sparse.
10–80-flowered.
1–5(–10)-flowered.
0.3–1.5(–2) cm.
0.5–2 cm.
epicalyx bractlets oblong to narrowly ovate, 1.5–3 × 0.7–1.2 mm, lengths 2/3–1 times sepals;
sepals 2–4.5 mm, apex ± acute;
petals (2–)2.5–4 × 1.5–3 mm;
filaments 0.8–1.5 mm, anthers 0.3–0.6(–0.8) mm;
carpels 30–60, styles 0.6–0.9 mm, often strongly papillate-swollen proximally.
epicalyx bractlets lanceolate-elliptic, (1.5–)2–3(–5) × 0.5–1.5 mm;
hypanthium 3.5–6 mm diam.;
sepals 3–6(–8) mm, apex acute;
petals ± paler abaxially, bright yellow adaxially, narrowly obcordate, (3–)4–7(–8) × 3–5 mm;
filaments 2–4 mm, anthers 0.5–1 mm;
carpels 10–25, styles 2–3 mm.
0.8–1.1 mm, smooth to lightly rugose.
1.5 mm, smooth.
hairs not well differentiated from long hairs, absent or sparse throughout.
= 14, 28, 35, 42, 56, 62 (Eurasia).
Potentilla argentea
Potentilla albiflora
The bright, silvery vestiture of the leaves quickly distinguishes Potentilla argentea from P. inclinata and P. intermedia. Although treated here as introduced, some (P. A. Rydberg 1898; P. A. Werner and J. D. Soule 1976) considered P. argentea to be probably native in eastern North America.
The Potentilla argentea species group is an amphi- or apomictic polyploid complex that has been the subject of numerous cytological, sexual, and molecular studies (for example, A. Müntzing and G. Müntzing 1945; A. Müntzing 1958; J. Paule et al. 2011). Taxonomic treatments have ranged from a highly polymorphic single species to an abundance of species, varieties, and forms (T. Wolf 1908). This treatment is at the conservative end of the spectrum. Some New England references (R. C. Bean et al. 1967; F. C. Seymour 1969) distinguish plants with densely white-hairy adaxial leaflet surfaces as var. pseudocalabra Th. Wolf, a name based on plants from southeastern Europe. Molecular analysis by Paule et al. supports the conclusion by Wolf that the variety consists of intermediates between P. argentea and P. calabra Tenore. The optimum taxonomic disposition of var. pseudocalabra, and whether any North American plants are properly included, remains to be determined.
Potentilla argentea has been reported as an active agent in treating cirrhosis of the liver (N. T. Starostenko and V. N. Starostenko 1971).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Of conservation concern.
Potentilla albiflora grows on the Pinaleño (Graham) Mountains in Graham County, with a few outlying collections known from the Mogollon Rim in Greenlee County and the Santa Catalina Mountains of Pima County.
Contrary to the specific epithet, petals of living plants are yellow, not white; like those of many Potentilla species, they tend to fade in pressed material.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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