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Potentilla brevifolia

short-leaf cinquefoil, sparse-leaf cinquefoil

sagebrush cinquefoil

Stems

0.4–2 dm, lengths 2 times basal leaves.

Basal leaves

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

palmate, 3–8(–13) cm;

petiole 1.5–5(–8) cm, straight hairs abundant, ± appressed, 1–2 mm, stiff, cottony hairs absent, glands sparse to abundant;

leaflets (3–)5–7(–9), on tip or at least less than distal 1/10 of leaf axis, separate to slightly overlapping, proximal pair separated from others by 0–1 mm of leaf axis, central leaflets narrowly cuneate to oblanceolate, 1–3(–4) × 0.3–0.7 cm, petiolule 1 mm, distal 1/4 or less of margins incised 1/3–2/3 to midvein, teeth 1(–3) per side, separate, 1–2(–4) mm, surfaces similar, green to grayish, straight hairs sparse to common, appressed, 1–1.5(–2) mm, stiff (sometimes softer and wavy), cottony hairs absent, glands sparse to abundant.

Inflorescences

4–11-flowered.

Pedicels

0.7–2(–4) 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 ± lanceolate, 2–4 × 1 mm;

hypanthium 3–4(–6) mm diam.;

sepals 3–4.5 mm, apex acute to obtuse;

petals 5–7 × 3–5 mm;

filaments 1–2.5 mm, anthers 0.6–0.8 mm;

carpels 3–10, styles 2–2.5 mm.

Achenes

1–1.5 mm.

2.5 mm, smooth to slightly rugose.

Potentilla brevifolia

Potentilla johnstonii

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering summer.
Habitat Moist rocky slopes and talus, alpine grassy areas, subalpine conifer woodlands Rocky slopes in pinyon-juniper woodlands, with Artemisia
Elevation 2500–3600 m (8200–11800 ft) 2300–2500 m (7500–8200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
ID; MT; NV; OR; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NV
[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.)

Of conservation concern.

Potentilla johnstonii occurs only in the Quinn Canyon Range in Nye County. Its distinctiveness was first noted by B. C. Johnston (1980), who treated it as a variety of P. concinna using the unpublished epithet curvata.

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

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 188. FNA vol. 9, p. 182.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Brevifoliae Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Concinnae
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. furcata, P. glaucophylla, P. gracilis, P. grayi, P. hickmanii, P. hippiana, P. holmgrenii, P. hookeriana, P. hyparctica, P. inclinata, P. intermedia, P. jepsonii, 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
Name authority Nuttall: in J. Torrey and A. Gray, Fl. N. Amer. 1: 442. (1840) Soják: Thaiszia 16: 97. (2007)
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