Potentilla biennis
Potentilla demotica
biennial cinquefoil, biennial or Greene's cinquefoil, Greene's cinquefoil
Hualapai cinquefoil
ascending to erect, (1–)2–6(–8.5) dm, hairs at base not stiff, not tubercle-based, glands sparse to abundant, conspicuous (to 1 mm, septate).
0.2–1.5(–2) dm.
ternate, (2–)4–12(–25) cm;
petiole (1–)2–8(–20) cm, long hairs sparse to common, spreading to ascending, 0.5–1.5(–3) mm, weak, crisped hairs usually absent, glands sparse to abundant, conspicuous (to 1 mm, septate);
leaflets 3, at tip of leaf axis, usually overlapping, largest ones mostly obovate or oval to nearly round, (0.5–)1–3(–4) × 0.3–3(–3.5) cm, distal 3/4 to ± whole margin evenly to unevenly incised 1/4–1/3(–1/2) to midvein, teeth 3–8(–13) per side, surfaces sparsely to moderately hairy, rarely glabrate, glands sparse to abundant at least abaxially.
usually palmate, sometimes ternate, 2–8 cm;
petiole 1–7 cm, long hairs common, spreading to ascending, 1.5–2.5 mm, weak to ± stiff, glands abundant;
leaflets (3–)5, central oblanceolate, 0.5–1.5(–2) × 0.4–0.8 cm, scarcely petiolulate, distal ± 3/4 of margins ± evenly incised 1/2–3/4 to midvein, teeth 2–3(–4) per side, surfaces green, long hairs sparse to common, 0.5–1.5 mm, glands abundant.
(10–)20–70+-flowered.
1–7-flowered.
0.2–1(–2) cm.
0.5–1(–2) cm.
epicalyx bractlets narrowly oblanceolate to narrowly obovate or elliptic, (1.5–)2–3.5(–4.5) × 0.5–1.5(–2) mm;
hypanthium (2–)3–4(–5.5) mm diam.;
sepals (2–)3–5 mm, apex broadly acute to obtuse;
petals pale yellow to yellow, broadly oblanceolate to obovate, (1–)2–2.7 × 1.5 mm;
stamens 10 or 15, filaments 0.5–1.2 mm, anthers 0.2–0.3 mm;
carpels 40–100, styles 0.5–0.7 mm.
epicalyx bractlets ovate-elliptic, 1–2.5 × 1–1.5 mm;
hypanthium 2–3 mm diam.;
sepals 2.5–4 mm, apex obtuse;
petals ± paler abaxially, bright yellow adaxially, ± obcordate, 3–7 × 2.5–4 mm;
filaments 1.3–2 mm, anthers 0.5 mm;
carpels 5–12, styles 2–2.5 mm.
whitish or pale yellowish, 0.5–0.9 mm, smooth, without a corky protuberance.
1.5–1.8 mm, smooth to lightly rugose.
hairs not well differentiated from long hairs, absent or sparse throughout.
Potentilla biennis
Potentilla demotica
Potentilla biennis may be recognized by its septate hairs with a round, terminal gland, which dominate the vestiture especially at the base of the plant. Stems are more commonly erect and leaflets rounder than those of P. rivalis. The species is most common along the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada of California, across the Intermountain Region to the Rocky Mountains. All specimens seen by the authors from Baja California, Mexico, which were previously referred to P. biennis are now assigned to P. rivalis.
J. Soják (1996) lectotypified Potentilla millegrana Engelmann ex Lehmann upon a collection of P. rivalis, thus preventing P. biennis from being a later taxonomic synonym.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Of conservation concern.
Potentilla demotica is known from a single granitic knoll in the Hualapai Mountains, Mohave County. The species was reported as a western range extension of P. subviscosa by M. Butterwick et al. (1991); it differs in rock-dwelling habit, petal color, and epicalyx, among other characters.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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