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bipinnate cinquefoil, potentille bipinnatifide, tansy cinquefoil

scarlet cinquefoil, Thurber's cinquefoil

Stems

ascending to erect, (1–)2–5 dm.

(2–)3–7(–10) 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, (2–)4–15(–30) cm;

petiole (2–)3–10(–25) cm, long hairs sparse to common, spreading, 1–3.5 mm, weak, glands sparse to abundant, sometimes absent;

leaflets 5(–7), at tip of leaf axis, central one (1–)2–6(–8) × (0.5–)1–2.5(–4) cm, petiolules 0(–10) mm, distal 3/4 to whole margin incised 1/5–1/4 to midvein, teeth (4–)7–15(–19) per side (sometimes secondarily toothed), (1–)2–3(–5) mm, teeth apex acute to ± obtuse, surfaces slightly to strongly dissimilar, abaxial pale green to white, straight hairs sparse to abundant, often dense on veins, 0.5–3 mm, cottony hairs absent or sparse to dense, glands ± sparse or absent, sometimes obscured, adaxial green, straight hairs sparse to abundant, 0.2–1 mm, cottony hairs absent, glands ± sparse or absent.

Cauline leaves

2–4.

stipules usually toothed, sometimes entire.

Inflorescences

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

(4–)10–35-flowered.

Pedicels

0.2–0.8 cm (proximal to 2 cm).

0.5–4 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 narrowly to broadly lanceolate-elliptic (rarely toothed or lobed), 4–9(–14) × (1–)1.5–2 mm;

sepals 4–10(–15) mm, apex acute to acuminate;

petals ± dark reddish throughout, (3.5–)6–10 × 6–10 mm;

filaments 1.5–3 mm, anthers 0.8–1 mm;

carpels 30–70, styles 2.5–3.5 mm.

Achenes

1–1.2 mm, smooth to faintly rugose.

1.5 mm, ± rugose.

2n

= 56.

Potentilla bipinnatifida

Potentilla thurberi

Phenology Flowering summer.
Habitat Open shortgrass prairie, alkaline bottoms, streamsides in sagebrush, disturbed sites
Elevation 10–3400 m (0–11200 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; NM; nw Mexico
[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.)

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

The abaxially white-cottony leaflets of var. atrorubens usually make it easily distinguished from var. thurberi, which lacks cottony hairs and is usually less hairy in general. The two varieties sometimes occur together and intermediates between the extremes are common.

The degree of glandularity and the lengths of the central leaflets are greater in the southern populations of both varieties. The glands are less widely distributed on the plants northward and are fewer in northern Arizona and New Mexico. Leaflets are shorter and broader north of Graham County, Arizona, and Otero County, New Mexico.

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

Key
1. Leaflets pale green abaxially, cottony hairs absent.
var. thurberi
1. Leaflets ± white to white abaxially, cottony hairs sparse to dense.
var. atrorubens
Source FNA vol. 9, p. 217. FNA vol. 9, p. 149.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Pensylvanicae Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Rubrae
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. 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. thuringiaca, P. tikhomirovii, P. townsendii, P. uliginosa, P. uschakovii, P. vahliana, P. verna, P. versicolor, P. villosa, P. villosula, P. vulcanicola, P. wheeleri
Subordinate taxa
P. thurberi var. atrorubens, P. thurberi var. thurberi
Synonyms P. pensylvanica var. bipinnatifida
Name authority Douglas: in W. J. Hooker, Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 188. (1832) A. Gray: Pl. Nov. Thurb., 318. (1854)
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