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dwarf cinquefoil

graceful cinquefoil, Hooker's cinquefoil

Caudex branches

not sheathed with marcescent whole leaves.

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, (0.3–)0.5–2 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.

usually both ternate and palmate on same plant, rarely subpalmate, 1–9 cm;

petiole 0.5–6 cm, long hairs common to abundant, ± appressed to ascending-spreading, (0.5–)1–1.5(–2) mm, usually stiff, rarely weak, verrucose, short-crisped hairs sparse to common, cottony hairs absent, glands ± sparse;

leaflets 3–5, proximalmost separated by 0(–1) mm, central oblanceolate to obovate, 0.5–2.5 × 0.4–1.2 cm, petiolules 0–1 mm, distal ± 3/4 of margin incised 1/2–3/4, rarely +, to midvein, teeth 2–6 per side, 1–5 mm, apical tufts 0.5–1 mm, abaxial surfaces grayish white to white, long hairs common to abundant, cottony-crisped hairs usually dense, short hairs and glands absent or obscured, adaxial green to grayish green, long hairs sparse to common, 0.5–1.5 mm, usually stiff, short and/or crisped hairs sparse to common, cottony hairs absent, glands sparse to common.

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.

1–6(–8)-flowered, open, branch angle 20–50°.

Pedicels

(1–)2–5(–9) cm.

(0.5–)1–2 cm, proximal to 3 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 linear to oblong-lanceolate, 2–3 × 0.7–1.3 mm;

hypanthium 3–4 mm diam.;

sepals 3–5 mm, apex subacute, glands ± common, not obscured;

petals yellow, ± overlapping, 3–6(–7) × 4–5 mm, usually longer than sepals;

filaments 0.5–1.5 mm, anthers 0.3–0.5 mm;

carpels 30–50, styles 0.8–1.2 mm.

Achenes

1.2–1.4 mm, smooth.

1–1.3 mm.

Rootstocks

erect, stout, 0.5–2 cm.

2n

= 28.

Potentilla canadensis

Potentilla hookeriana

Phenology Flowering late Mar–early Jun. Flowering (spring–)summer.
Habitat Dry flats and slopes in lawns, pastures, roadsides, cherty slopes, dry meadows, edges of oak and conifer woodlands, often on acidic soil Alpine ridges, fellfields, scree slopes, rocky canyons
Elevation 0–1500 m (0–4900 ft) 1400–3900 m (4600–12800 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
CO; ID; MT; NV; UT; WY; AB; BC
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 here defined, Potentilla hookeriana consists of primarily alpine plants from the Rocky Mountains and adjacent desert mountains that share many of the same characters with P. rubricaulis but are smaller overall. Arctic plants previously included in P. hookeriana are now assigned to P. arenosa (J. Soják 1986; B. Ertter et al. 2013).

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

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 134. FNA vol. 9, p. 208.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Potentilla Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Rubricaules
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. flabellifolia, P. fragiformis, P. furcata, P. glaucophylla, P. gracilis, P. grayi, P. hickmanii, P. hippiana, P. holmgrenii, 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. nivea subsp. hookeriana, P. nivea var. hookeriana
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 498. (1753) Lehmann: Index Seminum (Hamburg) 1849: 10. (1849)
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