Potentilla argentea |
Potentilla fragiformis |
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hoary cinquefoil, potentille argentée, silver cinquefoil, silver-leaf cinquefoil, silvery cinquefoil |
strawberry cinquefoil |
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Habit | Plants tufted to cushion-forming; caudex branches short, stout, diam. 1–1.5(–2) cm, including old leaf bases. | |
Stems | mostly decumbent to ascending, 1–6 dm. |
ascending to erect, 0.3–1.5(–2) dm, lengths 1–2 times basal leaves. |
Basal leaves | palmate. |
not in ranks, ternate, (1–)4–10(–15) cm; stipules: apex acute to obtuse; petiole (0.3–)2–11(–13) cm, long hairs abundant, ascending to spreading, 1–2.3 mm, soft, glands sparse to common; leaflets 3, central obovate, 0.7–2.5 × 0.5–1.6 cm, petiolule 0–1 mm, margins revolute, not lobed, distal 1/2–2/3 evenly incised ± 1/3 to midvein, teeth 2–3(–4) per side, surfaces ± similar, green (paler abaxially), hairs common, 1–1.5 mm, glands common (sparser adaxially). |
Cauline leaves | 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. |
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Inflorescences | 10–80-flowered. |
1–3-flowered. |
Pedicels | 0.3–1.5(–2) cm. |
straight, 0.5–2 cm in flower, to 3.5 cm in fruit. |
Flowers | 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 oblong, 3–7 × 1.2–2.5 mm, margins revolute; hypanthium 4–6 mm diam.; sepals 4–6(–7) mm, apex broadly acute to obtuse; petals yellow, 9–12 × 8–10 mm; filaments (2–)2.8–3.2 mm, anthers 0.5–0.8 mm; carpels 40–50, styles filiform, not or scarcely papillate-swollen proximally, 1.7–2 mm. |
Achenes | 0.8–1.1 mm, smooth to lightly rugose. |
1.3–1.5. |
2n | = 14, 28, 35, 42, 56, 62 (Eurasia). |
= 42, 56 (Russian Far East). |
Potentilla argentea |
Potentilla fragiformis |
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Phenology | Flowering spring–summer. | Flowering late spring–summer. |
Habitat | Dry flats and slopes, roadsides, dry ditches, other open sites, in grasslands, oak and conifer woodlands | Leymus-Potentilla sand dunes, coastal gravel bars, beach ridges |
Elevation | 0–2000 m (0–6600 ft) | 0–10 m (0–0 ft) |
Distribution |
CO; CT; DC; IA; ID; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MT; NC; ND; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; SD; TN; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC; SK; SPM; Eurasia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Pacific Islands (New Zealand)]
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AK; e Asia (Russian Far East) |
Discussion | 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.) |
Recent collections of Potentilla fragiformis in Alaska on the coast of the Bering and Chukchi seas have confirmed historical reports (P. A. Rydberg 1908d) of this Beringian species in North America. Dwarf plants from St. Lawrence Island are somewhat intermediate to P. nana but have the larger petals and longer styles of P. fragiformis. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 9, p. 144. | FNA vol. 9, p. 191. |
Parent taxa | Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Terminales | Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Aureae |
Sibling taxa | ||
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 497. (1753) | D. F. K. Schlechtendal: Ges. Naturf. Freunde Berlin Mag. Neuesten Entdeck. Gesammten Naturk. 7: 294. (1816) |
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