Potentilla biennis |
Potentilla pulchella |
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biennial cinquefoil, biennial or Greene's cinquefoil, Greene's cinquefoil |
potentille jolie, pretty cinquefoil |
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Stems | 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). |
ascending, 0.1–1.5(–2) dm. |
Leaves | 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. |
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Basal leaves | subpinnate, 1.5–9 cm; petiole 0.7–4 cm, long hairs common to dense, ± appressed to ascending, 0.5–3 mm, soft, short hairs absent, crisped hairs sparse to abundant, glands absent or sparse; leaflets (1–)2(–3) per side, on distal 1/6–1/2 of leaf axis, separate to overlapping, terminal ones oblong or obovate, 0.4–3 × 0.2–1.2 cm, margins revolute, incised 2/3–3/4+ to midvein, undivided medial blade 2–6 mm wide, teeth 2–5 per side, linear to narrowly oblong, surfaces dissimilar, abaxial white, long hairs ± abundant, 1–2 mm, soft, short hairs absent or obscured, crisped and/or cottony hairs dense, glands absent or obscured, adaxial grayish white to dark grayish green, long hairs sparse to dense, loosely appressed to spreading, 0.5–2 mm, short hairs absent, crisped hairs absent or sparse, glands absent. |
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Cauline leaves | 1–2. |
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Inflorescences | (10–)20–70+-flowered. |
(1–)2–5(–9)-flowered, ± open. |
Pedicels | 0.2–1(–2) cm. |
0.5–1 cm (proximal to 5 cm). |
Flowers | 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 oblong to ovate, 2–4(–6) × 0.8–1.3(–2) mm, lengths ± 3/4 times sepals, margins sometimes revolute; hypanthium 2.5–4 mm diam.; sepals 3–5 mm, apex obtuse to subacute, abaxial surfaces: venation indistinct, glands ± abundant, often obscured; petals pale yellow, 4–5 × 2–3 mm, lengths 1.5 times sepals; filaments 1–1.5 mm, anthers 0.4 mm; carpels 30–60, styles papillate-swollen in proximal 1/4–1/3, 0.9–1.2 mm. |
Achenes | whitish or pale yellowish, 0.5–0.9 mm, smooth, without a corky protuberance. |
1.4–1.5 mm, smooth or rugose. |
2n | = 28. |
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Potentilla biennis |
Potentilla pulchella |
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Phenology | Flowering summer. | Flowering summer. |
Habitat | Moist meadows, stream banks, ditches, seepages | Dry or damp, open tundra, silt flats, stream and seashore banks, bird cliff meadows, fine scree, on loam, clay, or calcareous substrates |
Elevation | 400–3100 m (1300–10200 ft) | 0–600 m (0–2000 ft) |
Distribution |
AK; AZ; CA; CO; ID; MT; ND; NM; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; SK; YT
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AK; MB; NL; NT; NU; ON; QC; YT; Greenland; Eurasia |
Discussion | 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.) |
Potentilla pulchella is morphologically isolated within sect. Pensylvanicae and is very polymorphic. The proposed races (var. elatior, subsp./var. gracilicaulis) differ only in characters appearing throughout the range of the species (more slender and erect to ascending stems, less hairy leaves). Some different morphs are often found close together but in different habitats. Some species with palmate or subpalmate leaves combine features of Potentilla pulchella and species from sect. Niveae (addressed under 8t. sect. Rubricaules); others are possible hybrids between P. hyparctica and P. pulchella (sect. Aureae). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 9, p. 140. | FNA vol. 9, p. 217. |
Parent taxa | Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Rivales | Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Pensylvanicae |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | P. pulchella var. elatior, P. pulchella subsp. gracilicaulis, P. pulchella var. gracilicaulis, P. usticapensis | |
Name authority | Greene: Fl. Francisc., 65. (1891) | R. Brown: Chlor. Melvill., 19. (1823) |
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