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dwarf cinquefoil

fan-foil, fan-leaf cinquefoil, fanleaf or fanfoil or Mount Rainier cinquefoil, fringe-leaf cinquefoil, high mountain cinquefoil

Habit Plants ± openly matted; caudex branches short to elongate, ± stout.
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–)1–3 dm, lengths 2 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.

2-ranked, ternate, (1–)3–12(–20) cm;

stipules: apex rounded;

petiole (0.5–)1–15(–18) cm, hairs and glands usually absent;

leaflets 3, central widely obovate to flabellate, (0.5–)1–5 × (0.4–)1–3(–3.5) cm, petiolule 0–5(–10) mm, margins flat, not or shallowly lobed (sinuses extending less than 1/2 to midvein), distal 1/2–3/4 usually unevenly incised 1/4–1/2 to midvein, teeth 3–7 per side, often secondarily toothed, surfaces similar, green, hairs absent or sparse, rarely common, 0.5–1 mm, 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.

Inflorescences

solitary flowers at stolon nodes.

1–6-flowered.

Pedicels

(1–)2–5(–9) cm.

straight, 0.3–4.5(–5) 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 often toothed or 2-lobed, elliptic to oval, 3.5–7 × (1–)1.5–3 mm, margins flat;

hypanthium 3–7 mm diam.;

sepals 4–8 mm, apex acute to obtuse;

petals dark yellow, (5–)6–10(–12) × (3–)5–10 mm;

filaments 1.5–3 mm, anthers 0.6–1.5 mm;

carpels 20–50, styles filiform, not or slightly papillate-swollen proximally, 1.6–2.5 mm.

Achenes

1.2–1.4 mm, smooth.

1.2–1.5 mm.

Rootstocks

erect, stout, 0.5–2 cm.

2n

= 28.

= 28.

Potentilla canadensis

Potentilla flabellifolia

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 Moist to wet or swampy, sometimes dry, stream banks, lakeshores, meadows, in conifer woodlands, subalpine and alpine grassy, rocky slopes, near or above timberline
Elevation 0–1500 m (0–4900 ft) 1000–3700 m (3300–12100 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; ID; MT; NV; OR; WA; WY; AB; BC
[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.)

Potentilla flabellifolia is found in the mountains from southern British Columbia, southwestern Alberta, and southwestern Montana to the southern Sierra Nevada of California.

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

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 134. FNA vol. 9, p. 190.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Potentilla Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Aureae
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. 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. 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
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 498. (1753) Hooker ex Torrey & A. Gray: Fl. N. Amer. 1: 442. (1840)
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