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Potentilla brevifolia

short-leaf cinquefoil, sparse-leaf cinquefoil

fork cinquefoil

Caudex branches

usually not sheathed with marcescent whole leaves.

Stems

ascending to erect, (0.5–)1–3 dm.

Basal leaves

petiole 1–4 cm, eglandular hairs absent or sparse, spreading, less than 1 mm, weak, glands abundant.

often both ternate and palmate on same plant, sometimes subpalmate, 4–10 cm;

petiole 2.5–8 cm, long hairs common to abundant, loosely appressed to ascending-spreading, 1–2 mm, weak to ± stiff, ± verrucose, short and/or crisped hairs sparse to abundant, cottony hairs absent, glands sparse to common;

leaflets 3–5, proximalmost separated by 0(–2) mm, central oblong to obovate, 1.4–2.5(–5) × 0.6–1.3(–2) cm, petiolules 1–3(–5) mm, distal 2/3–3/4 of margin incised 1/2–3/4+ to midvein, teeth 3–5 per side, 3.5–6 mm, apical tufts 0.5–1 mm, abaxial surfaces grayish white to white, long hairs common to abundant, cottony-crisped hairs usually dense, short hairs and glands absent or obscured, adaxial green to grayish green, long hairs sparse to common, 0.5–1(–1.5) mm, ± stiff, short and/or crisped hairs sparse to common, sometimes abundant, cottony hairs absent, glands sparse to abundant.

Cauline leaves

1–3.

Inflorescences

7–12(–20)-flowered, ± open, branch angle 5–30(–50)°.

Pedicels

(0.5–)1–2 cm, proximal to 3 cm.

Flowers

epicalyx bractlets lanceolate-elliptic to ovate, 2–4 × 0.8–2 mm;

sepals 3–5(–7) mm, apex broadly acute to obtuse;

petals 3.5–6.5 × 3–5 mm;

filaments 1–2.5 mm, anthers 0.5–0.6 mm;

carpels 10–15.

epicalyx bractlets linear to narrowly lanceolate, 2–3.5 × 0.6–1 mm;

hypanthium 2.5–3.5 mm diam.;

sepals 2.5–4 mm, apex subacute to acute, glands ± common, usually not obscured;

petals pale yellow, not overlapping, 3–5(–6) × 3–4(–5) mm, slightly longer than sepals;

filaments 0.8–1.8 mm, anthers 0.4 mm;

carpels 30–60, styles 0.7–0.9 mm.

Achenes

1–1.5 mm.

1.2 mm.

Potentilla brevifolia

Potentilla furcata

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering spring–summer.
Habitat Moist rocky slopes and talus, alpine grassy areas, subalpine conifer woodlands Sandy bluffs, dry riverbanks, limestone outcrops, grassy openings in dry forests, dry mountain slopes
Elevation 2500–3600 m (8200–11800 ft) 100–2400 m (300–7900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
ID; MT; NV; OR; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; BC; YT
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Potentilla brevifolia is found mainly in alpine situations in the Pioneer, Sawtooth, Smoky, and White Cloud mountains of central Idaho; the Madison Range of western Montana; the Jarbidge Range of northeastern Nevada; the Blue, Steens, and Wallowa mountains of eastern Oregon; and the Teton Range of northwestern Wyoming. The elongate caudices are easily covered by moving soil and talus.

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

Potentilla furcata is a characteristic species of the steppe bluffs of interior and south-central Alaska, Yukon, and northern British Columbia, mainly within the unglaciated Beringian region. It differs from P. rubricaulis in having less open inflorescences, smaller flowers, narrower petals, more papillae on styles, and denser glands on epicalyx and calyx.

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

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 188. FNA vol. 9, p. 208.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Brevifoliae Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Rubricaules
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. bipinnatifida, 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. 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
Synonyms P. hookeriana var. furcata, P. rubricaulis var. furcata
Name authority Nuttall: in J. Torrey and A. Gray, Fl. N. Amer. 1: 442. (1840) A. E. Porsild: Bull. Natl. Mus. Canada 121: 224, plate 18. (1951)
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