Potentilla breweri
Potentilla inclinata
Brewer's cinquefoil
ashy cinquefoil, potentille inclinée
prostrate to ascending, (0.5–)1–3(–4.5) dm, lengths 2–4(–5) times basal leaves.
ascending to erect, (1–)1.5–5 dm.
pinnate with distal leaflets ± confluent, (2–)4–12(–17) × 1–2.5(–5) cm;
petiole 1–3(–7) cm, straight hairs mostly absent, cottony hairs sparse to dense, glands absent or obscured to common;
primary lateral leaflets 3–6 per side, on distal 1/2–2/3(–3/4) of leaf axis, ± overlapping, largest ones cuneate-flabellate, 0.5–1.5(–2.5) × 0.4–2(–3) cm, distal 1/2 to whole margin unevenly incised 1/2 to completely to midvein (blade often medially split as well), ultimate teeth or segments 3–10, narrowly elliptic, 2–10(–15) × 1–3(–5) mm, apical tufts less than 1 mm, surfaces grayish green to white, not glaucous, straight hairs sparse to common (sparser adaxially), loosely appressed to ascending, 1–1.5 mm, soft, cottony hairs sparse to dense, glands sparse or obscured to common.
palmate.
1–3.
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.
2–15(–25)-flowered, openly cymose.
10–50+-flowered.
(1–)1.5–2.5(–4) cm, straight in fruit.
0.3–1.5(–3) cm.
epicalyx bractlets lanceolate to ovate, 2–5 × 1–1.5 mm;
hypanthium (3–)4–5 mm diam.;
sepals (3–)4–7 mm, apex acute;
petals 5–9(–10) × 4–8(–10) mm;
filaments (1–)2–4 mm, anthers (0.5–)1 mm;
carpels 15–25, styles 2–3 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.
1.8 mm, smooth, not carunculate.
1 mm, lightly rugose.
= 72–73, 99, 100, 102.
= 14, 28, 35, 42, 84 (Eurasia).
Potentilla breweri
Potentilla inclinata
Of conservation concern.
Potentilla breweri differs from other members of sect. Multijugae in its often dense, cottony vestiture. Density of cottony hairs and leaflet dissection can differ significantly between first-formed and mid- to late-season leaves of P. breweri; in the description above, leaves are those predominant at anthesis.
Potentilla breweri is most common in the Sierra Nevada of California, with sporadic occurrences to the Cascade Range in southern Washington. Disjunct populations occur in the Ruby and Snake ranges in Nevada and on Steens Mountain in Oregon, where often introgressed with P. versicolor. Reports from Utah are based on collections of P. concinna var. proxima or possible hybrids between P. concinna var. proxima and P. ovina var. decurrens.
J. Clausen et al. (1940) concluded that Potentilla breweri (with P. versicolor as synonym) belonged with P. bruceae and P. drummondii as members of a cenospecies that probably also included unnamed species (possibly P. ovina var. decurrens) from the mountains of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. Chromosome number varied within populations, and high numbers of univalents were present.
Recognition of Potentilla breweri as a distinct species differs from recent treatments in which it was considered to be a variety or subspecies of P. drummondii, parallel to the treatment of P. bruceae. The present continental perspective of the genus, as well as additional fieldwork, has resulted in the return of all three to species rank (B. Ertter and D. Mansfield 2007). Placement of P. breweri in sect. Multijugae, separate from P. bruceae and P. drummondii in sect. Graciles, is based on the commonly prostrate habit, fully pinnate leaves, and deeply divided overlapping leaflets.
Although B. C. Johnston (1980) used Potentilla breweri var. viridis Jepson to accommodate greener-than-average sparsely cottony plants, including populations treated here as P. versicolor, the type is probably a sterile hybrid with P. wheeleri as one parent (B. Ertter 1992). The type of P. millefolia var. algida Jepson (included by Johnston in the synonymy of var. viridis) and comparable plants from north-central California combine features of P. breweri and P. versicolor but are more glandular than either. This variant, as well as exceptionally small plants from the Warner Mountains of California, may prove distinct.
(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.)
- Local floras:
CA, 
OR, 
WA - Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos,
Flora NW, 
PNW Herbaria 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
BC
Go Botany
MI Flora
MN Wildflowers
