Potentilla canadensis |
Potentilla cristae |
|
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dwarf cinquefoil |
crested cinquefoil, crested potentilla |
|
Habit | Plants tufted to densely matted; caudex branches usually short, stout, sometimes embedded in old leaf bases. | |
Stems | initially ascending to erect, soon becoming prostrate, flagelliform, not branched, eventually rooting at some nodes, (0.3–)0.5–12 dm. |
ascending to erect, 0.3–2 dm, lengths 2–3 times basal leaves. |
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, ternate, 1–5(–9) cm; stipules: apex acute to obtuse; petiole 1–4 cm, long hairs absent or sparse to common, spreading to ascending, 0.5–2 mm, ± weak, glands sparse to abundant; leaflets 3, central flabellate, 0.4–2 × 0.5–1.5 cm, petiolule 1–3 mm, margins flat, distal 3/4+ deeply 3–5-lobed (sinuses extending 1/2 to nearly to midvein), lobes unevenly incised 1/4–1/2 to midvein, teeth 2–5 per lobe, surfaces similar, dark green, hairs ± sparse, 0.5–1.5 mm, glands sparse to abundant. |
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. |
|
Inflorescences | solitary flowers at stolon nodes. |
1–7-flowered. |
Pedicels | (1–)2–5(–9) cm. |
straight, 0.2–1.2(–2) cm, not much longer in fruit than in flower. |
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 ovate, 2–4 × 2 mm, margins flat; hypanthium 3.5–6 mm diam.; sepals 3–5 mm, apex broadly acute to obtuse; petals yellow, 3–5.5 × 4–5 mm; filaments 0.7–1.7 mm, anthers 0.5–0.6 mm; carpels 25–40, styles tapered-filiform, ± papillate-swollen in proximal 1/5–/1/3, 1.3–2 mm. |
Achenes | 1.2–1.4 mm, smooth. |
1–1.5 mm, dorsally crested. |
Rootstocks | erect, stout, 0.5–2 cm. |
|
2n | = 28. |
= 42. |
Potentilla canadensis |
Potentilla cristae |
|
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 | Rocky, open, serpentine slopes, in conifer woodlands |
Elevation | 0–1500 m (0–4900 ft) | 1800–2800 m (5900–9200 ft) |
Distribution |
CT; DC; DE; KY; MA; MD; ME; MO; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; SC; TN; VA; VT; WV; NS; ON
|
CA |
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.) |
Of conservation concern. Potentilla cristae is known only from Cory Peak, Mount Eddy, and the Marble Mountains in northwestern California. In addition to the characteristics in the key, the species is distinctive in having a low dorsal crest on the achenes, hence the specific epithet. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 9, p. 134. | FNA vol. 9, p. 191. |
Parent taxa | Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Potentilla | Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Aureae |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | P. canadensis var. pumila, P. canadensis var. villosissima, P. caroliniana, P. pumila | |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 498. (1753) | Ferlatte & Strother: Madroño 37: 190, fig. 1. (1990) |
Web links |