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dwarf cinquefoil

Bruce's cinquefoil

Glands

absent or inconspicuous, uncolored.

Stems

initially ascending to erect, soon becoming prostrate, flagelliform, not branched, eventually rooting at some nodes, (0.3–)0.5–12 dm.

ascending to nearly erect, (1–)2–5(–6) dm.

Basal leaves

± persistent, usually palmate, 2–9(–11) cm;

petiole 1–7(–8) cm, long hairs abundant to dense, appressed to spreading, 1.5–3 mm, mostly ± weak, glands absent or sparse;

leaflets (3–)5(–7), central mostly ± obovate to cuneate, sometimes narrowly so, (0.5–)1–4(–6) × (0.5–)0.8–2(–3) cm, distal 1/2 of margin incised 1/4–1/3 to midvein, teeth 2–7 per side, surfaces similar to ± dissimilar, abaxial green to silvery white, sparsely to densely hairy, adaxial green, sparsely to moderately hairy.

not in ranks, ± subpalmate to subpinnate (proximal leaflets sometimes doubled, distal leaflets confluent and/or decurrent), (2–)5–20(–28) cm;

petiole (1–)3–15(–20) cm, long hairs abundant, appressed to ascending-spreading, 1–2.5 mm, weak often flattened and twisted, sometimes grading to crisped or cottony hairs, short hairs absent, glands absent or sparse;

leaflets 5–7, on distal 1/10–1/4 of leaf axis, ± overlapping, largest ones usually ± obovate, (1–)1.5–5(–6) × 1–3.5(–4) cm, margins flat, distal 2/3–3/4 evenly to unevenly incised ± 1/2 to midvein (often with additional incisions nearly to midvein), undivided medial blade 4–20 mm wide, teeth (2–)3–6(–8) per side (sometimes secondarily toothed), ± lanceolate, 4–11 mm, surfaces ± similar, abaxial ± lighter and hairier, gray-green to grayish, rarely green, not glaucous, long hairs ± abundant, short-crisped hairs absent or sparse to common, cottony hairs usually absent, glands absent or sparse.

Cauline leaves

0–1 proximal to 1st flowering node, not fully expanded at anthesis, usually palmate, 2–7(–9) cm;

petiole (0.5–)1–6(–7.5) cm;

leaflets (3–)5, ± resembling those of basal leaves, apex rounded to obtuse.

1–2.

Inflorescences

solitary flowers at stolon nodes.

5–50-flowered.

Pedicels

(1–)2–5(–9) cm.

0.5–3(–4) cm.

Flowers

5-merous;

epicalyx bractlets linear to lanceolate-elliptic, (2–)3–5(–6) × 0.8–1.5 mm, slightly smaller than to ± equal to sepals;

hypanthium 2.5–5 mm diam.;

sepals (2–)3–5(–6) mm, apex acute;

petals 4–6(–8) × 3.5–6.5(–8) mm, apex rounded to slightly retuse;

stamens ca. 20, filaments 0.5–2 mm, anthers 0.4–1 mm;

carpels 20–40, styles 0.8–1.4 mm.

epicalyx bractlets broadly lanceolate to elliptic, 3–6(–7.5) × 1.5–2.5(–3) mm, hairs ± common to abundant, loosely appressed to ascending, glands absent or inconspicuous;

hypanthium 3.5–5.5 mm diam.;

sepals 5–10 mm, apex acute to acuminate;

petals 5–10 × 5–10 mm;

filaments 1–2.5 mm, anthers 0.7–1.2 mm;

carpels 15–30, styles filiform-tapered, papillate-swollen proximally, 2–3 mm.

Achenes

1.2–1.4 mm, smooth.

1.4–1.6 mm.

Rootstocks

erect, stout, 0.5–2 cm.

2n

= 28.

= 63–73, 79, 87, 98, 129.

Potentilla canadensis

Potentilla bruceae

Phenology Flowering late Mar–early Jun. Flowering summer.
Habitat Dry flats and slopes in lawns, pastures, roadsides, cherty slopes, dry meadows, edges of oak and conifer woodlands, often on acidic soil Dry montane meadows and adjacent slopes, in conifer woodlands
Elevation 0–1500 m (0–4900 ft) 1200–3700 m (3900–12100 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; DC; DE; KY; MA; MD; ME; MO; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; SC; TN; VA; VT; WV; NS; ON
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; NV; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

A cream-colored form (ochroleuca) was described from a now-obliterated site in Massachusetts (M. L. Fernald 1931).

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

As redefined by B. Ertter and D. Mansfield (2007), Potentilla bruceae is characterized by irregularly subpalmate, weakly villose leaves. Such plants form relatively consistent and extensive populations in dry meadows centered near Lake Tahoe in California and Nevada, extending to the central Sierra Nevada and to the Warner Mountains in Oregon. This interpretation differs from that previously suggested by Ertter (1992), in which P. bruceae was interpreted as the catchall category for hybrids between P. breweri (sect. Multijugae) and P. drummondii. All three taxa were accordingly treated as varieties of P. drummondii. D. D. Keck (in J. Clausen et al. 1940) treated P. bruceae as a subspecies of P. drummondii; B. C. Johnston (1980) concluded that its placement as a variety of P. breweri was more justified. The three entities unquestionably intergrade (with the type of P. anomalofolia M. Peck possibly one result), but not beyond what is the norm for facultatively apomictic species of Potentilla.

Chromosome numbers reported by J. Clausen et al. (1940) require verification as this species; the irregular behavior observed in meiotic material suggests that at least some of the individuals were hybrids.

See discussion of 29. Potentilla drummondii regarding leaflet dissection and the inclusion of P. bruceae in sect. Graciles.

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

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 134. FNA vol. 9, p. 159.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Potentilla Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Graciles
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. brevifolia, P. breweri, P. bruceae, P. brunnescens, 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. 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
Synonyms P. canadensis var. pumila, P. canadensis var. villosissima, P. caroliniana, P. pumila P. drummondii subsp. bruceae, P. drummondii var. bruceae
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 498. (1753) Rydberg: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 342. (1908)
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