Potentilla brevifolia
Potentilla townsendii
short-leaf cinquefoil, sparse-leaf cinquefoil
Townsend's cinquefoil
absent or inconspicuous, uncolored.
ascending to nearly erect, (1–)2–5(–7.5) dm.
petiole 1–4 cm, eglandular hairs absent or sparse, spreading, less than 1 mm, weak, glands abundant.
usually not in ranks, palmate, rarely subpalmate, (2–)5–20(–30) cm;
petiole (1–)2–15(–25) cm, long hairs usually absent or sparse and appressed, sometimes common and spreading, 1–1.5 mm, stiff, short, crisped, and cottony hairs absent, glands absent;
leaflets 5–7(–8), usually on tip, rarely on less than distal 1/10, of leaf axis, separate, largest ones narrowly oblanceolate-elliptic, (1.5–)2–5(–6) × 0.5–1.2(–1.5) cm, margins flat, distal (1/4–)1/2–3/4 evenly incised 1/4–1/3 to midvein, undivided medial blade 4–11 mm wide, teeth (2–)4–8(–9) per side, mostly broadly lanceolate, 1–2 mm, surfaces similar, green, not glaucous, long hairs usually absent or limited to veins and margins, short, crisped, and cottony hairs absent, glands absent.
1–3.
(5–)10–20(–25)-flowered.
0.7–3(–3.5) cm.
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 to elliptic, (2–)2.5–5(–6) × 0.5–1(–1.4) mm, hairs sparse, ± appressed, glands absent;
hypanthium 3.5–5 mm diam.;
sepals 4–8(–9) mm, apex acute to long acuminate;
petals 5–10 × 5–10(–12) mm;
filaments 1–3 mm, anthers (0.5–)0.6–1 mm;
carpels 15–30, styles filiform above papillate-swollen base, (1–)1.5–2 mm.
1–1.5 mm.
1.1–1.6 mm.
Potentilla brevifolia
Potentilla townsendii
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.)
Although previously applied only to collections from Chihuahua, Mexico, Potentilla townsendii is here used to accommodate most plants from Arizona and New Mexico previously placed in P. glaucophylla (as P. diversifolia Lehmann). Plants have narrow, shallowly toothed leaflets; stems, petioles, and leaflet veins that are often reddish; and larger anthers than P. glaucophylla. As now circumscribed, P. townsendii is known in the United States primarily from the White Mountains of east-central Arizona and the high mountains of northern New Mexico. Whether these plants are truly conspecific with those from Chihuahua, Mexico, remains to be confirmed. The species might also occur in Colorado and Utah, but the best disposition of these problematic populations is uncertain. Somewhat hairy plants with subpalmate leaves are interpreted as introgression from P. hippiana or other species.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
OR
CalFlora
Flora NW
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
