The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

bipinnate cinquefoil, potentille bipinnatifide, tansy cinquefoil

ashy cinquefoil, potentille inclinée

Stems

ascending to erect, (1–)2–5 dm.

ascending to erect, (1–)1.5–5 dm.

Basal leaves

subpinnate to subpalmate, (6–)10–25 cm;

petiole (2–)5–15 cm, long hairs dense, appressed, 1–2 mm, soft to ± stiff, short hairs absent, crisped hairs sparse, glands absent, sparse, or obscured;

leaflets 2–3 per side, on distal 1/6–1/3(–1/2) of leaf axis, separate to ± overlapping, terminal ones oblanceolate, (2–)3–6(–10) × 1–2(–3.5) cm, margins revolute, incised 3/4+ to midvein, undivided medial blade 1.5–6 mm wide, teeth 5–8 per side, ± linear, surfaces ± to strongly dissimilar, abaxial usually white, rarely grayish, long hairs abundant especially on veins, 1–2 mm, ± weak, short hairs absent or obscured, cottony (and crisped) hairs ± dense, glands absent or obscured, adaxial green to grayish, long hairs sparse to abundant, loosely appressed, 0.5–1.5 mm, short hairs absent or sparse, crisped and/or cottony hairs sparse to common, glands sparse to common.

palmate.

Cauline leaves

2–4.

3–9, proximal ones 5–10(–14) cm;

proximal petioles 2–6(–8) cm, long hairs sparse to common, spreading to loosely appressed, 1.5–3 mm, soft to weak, short or crisped hairs abundant, cottony hairs mostly absent, glands sparse to common, usually obscured;

leaflets 5–7, central one usually ± oblanceolate, (1.5–)2–5 × 0.5–1.5 cm, margins flat or ± revolute, distal (1/2–)3/4+ usually evenly incised 1/2 to midvein, teeth 4–6(–10) per side, surfaces ± dissimilar, abaxial grayish to gray-green, long hairs sparse to common (especially on veins), 1–2.5 mm, soft to weak, short or crisped hairs ± abundant, sometimes sparse, cottony hairs absent, glands ± sparse (usually obscured), adaxial long hairs usually sparse, sometimes absent, 1–2 mm, short hairs absent or sparse, crisped and cottony hairs absent, glands absent or sparse.

Inflorescences

(4–)10–50(–100)-flowered, congested or elongating in fruit.

10–50+-flowered.

Pedicels

0.2–0.8 cm (proximal to 2 cm).

0.3–1.5(–3) cm.

Flowers

epicalyx bractlets narrowly elliptic to lanceolate, 2.5–6 mm, lengths ± 2/3 times sepals, margins flat;

hypanthium 3–5 mm diam.;

sepals 3–6 mm, apex ± acute, abaxial surfaces: venation indistinct, glands absent, sparse, or obscured;

petals yellow, 3–5 × 3–4 mm, lengths ± equal to sepals;

filaments 0.5–2 mm, anthers 0.3–0.5 mm;

carpels 50–80, styles papillate-swollen in proximal 1/2–3/4+, 1–1.2 mm.

epicalyx bractlets lanceolate or elliptic to oblong, 3–6 × 1–1.5 mm, length ± 1 times sepals;

sepals 3.5–6.5 mm, apex acute to acuminate;

petals 4–7(–8) × 4–5(–6) mm;

filaments 0.8–2.5 mm, anthers (0.5–)0.8–1.2 mm;

carpels 80–100+, styles 0.8–1.1 mm, scarcely papillate-swollen proximally.

Achenes

1–1.2 mm, smooth to faintly rugose.

1 mm, lightly rugose.

2n

= 56.

= 14, 28, 35, 42, 84 (Eurasia).

Potentilla bipinnatifida

Potentilla inclinata

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering summer.
Habitat Open shortgrass prairie, alkaline bottoms, streamsides in sagebrush, disturbed sites Dry waste places, along roadsides, ditches, other open sites, in grasslands, oak and conifer woodlands
Elevation 10–3400 m (0–11200 ft) 0–2200 m (0–7200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CO; ID; MI; MN; MT; ND; NE; NM; SD; UT; WY; AB; MB; NT; ON; QC; SK; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CT; IN; MA; MI; MN; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; VA; VT; WA; WI; WY; BC; ON; PE; QC; Eurasia [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Potentilla bipinnatifida is similar to P. litoralis in habit and leaf dissection but has flat, silky epicalyx bractlets and sepals with no evident glands. Vestiture is generally silkier, and the silvery to bicolor leaves are white-cottony abaxially. The two species are sympatric in the plains of Canada, with some intergradation; P. bipinnatifida is also common south to Colorado, where it is found in intermontane meadows and sagebrush flats. Outlying populations occur in Blaine and Custer counties, Idaho, and Duchesne and Piute counties, Utah. Eastern collections from disturbed sites might be adventive.

Potentilla missourica Hornemann ex Lindley and P. normalis Besser ex Sprengel are older names for this species; both were rejected against a conserved P. bipinnatifida with designated lectotypes (see J. Soják 2008b).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

In addition to the characters given in the key, Potentilla inclinata in the flora area tends to have narrower leaflets, more compact inflorescences with fewer flowers, and more coarsely hairy epicalyx bractlets and sepals than P. intermedia. The species is currently becoming more common in western North America.

The name Potentilla inclinata has been conserved over P. assurgens Villars (T. Gregor et al. 2009).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 217. FNA vol. 9, p. 145.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Pensylvanicae Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Terminales
Sibling taxa
P. albiflora, P. ambigens, P. anachoretica, P. angelliae, P. anglica, P. anserina, P. arenosa, P. argentea, P. arizonica, P. basaltica, P. bicrenata, P. biennis, P. biflora, P. bimundorum, P. brevifolia, P. breweri, P. bruceae, P. brunnescens, P. canadensis, P. concinna, P. cottamii, P. crantzii, P. crebridens, P. crinita, P. cristae, P. demotica, P. drummondii, P. effusa, P. elegans, P. erecta, P. flabellifolia, P. fragiformis, P. furcata, P. glaucophylla, P. gracilis, P. grayi, P. hickmanii, P. hippiana, P. holmgrenii, P. hookeriana, P. hyparctica, P. inclinata, P. intermedia, P. jepsonii, P. johnstonii, P. lasiodonta, P. litoralis, P. macounii, P. millefolia, P. modesta, P. morefieldii, P. multijuga, P. multisecta, P. nana, P. newberryi, P. nivea, P. norvegica, P. ovina, P. paucijuga, P. pedersenii, P. pensylvanica, P. plattensis, P. pseudosericea, P. pulchella, P. pulcherrima, P. recta, P. reptans, P. rhyolitica, P. rimicola, P. rivalis, P. robbinsiana, P. rubella, P. rubricaulis, P. sanguinea, P. saximontana, P. sierrae-blancae, P. simplex, P. sterilis, P. stipularis, P. subgorodkovii, P. subjuga, P. subvahliana, P. subviscosa, P. supina, P. thurberi, P. thuringiaca, P. tikhomirovii, P. townsendii, P. uliginosa, P. uschakovii, P. vahliana, P. verna, P. versicolor, P. villosa, P. villosula, P. vulcanicola, P. wheeleri
P. albiflora, P. ambigens, P. anachoretica, P. angelliae, P. anglica, P. anserina, P. arenosa, P. argentea, P. arizonica, P. basaltica, P. bicrenata, P. biennis, P. biflora, P. bimundorum, P. bipinnatifida, P. brevifolia, P. breweri, P. bruceae, P. brunnescens, P. canadensis, P. concinna, P. cottamii, P. crantzii, P. crebridens, P. crinita, P. cristae, P. demotica, P. drummondii, P. effusa, P. elegans, P. erecta, P. flabellifolia, P. fragiformis, P. furcata, P. glaucophylla, P. gracilis, P. grayi, P. hickmanii, P. hippiana, P. holmgrenii, P. hookeriana, P. hyparctica, P. intermedia, P. jepsonii, P. johnstonii, P. lasiodonta, P. litoralis, P. macounii, P. millefolia, P. modesta, P. morefieldii, P. multijuga, P. multisecta, P. nana, P. newberryi, P. nivea, P. norvegica, P. ovina, P. paucijuga, P. pedersenii, P. pensylvanica, P. plattensis, P. pseudosericea, P. pulchella, P. pulcherrima, P. recta, P. reptans, P. rhyolitica, P. rimicola, P. rivalis, P. robbinsiana, P. rubella, P. rubricaulis, P. sanguinea, P. saximontana, P. sierrae-blancae, P. simplex, P. sterilis, P. stipularis, P. subgorodkovii, P. subjuga, P. subvahliana, P. subviscosa, P. supina, P. thurberi, P. thuringiaca, P. tikhomirovii, P. townsendii, P. uliginosa, P. uschakovii, P. vahliana, P. verna, P. versicolor, P. villosa, P. villosula, P. vulcanicola, P. wheeleri
Synonyms P. pensylvanica var. bipinnatifida P. canescens, P. intermedia var. canescens
Name authority Douglas: in W. J. Hooker, Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 188. (1832) Villars: Hist. Pl. Dauphiné 3: 567, plate 45 [bottom left]. (1788)
Web links