The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

dwarf cinquefoil

Ballona cinquefoil, lost cinquefoil

Habit Plants ± rosetted; taproots ± fleshy-thickened.
Stems

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

prostrate to ascending, 2–5(–7) dm, lengths 1–2 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.

pinnate with distal leaflets ± confluent, 10–22 × 1.5–3.5 cm;

petiole (2–)4–10 cm, straight hairs absent or sparse, appressed, 0.5–1.5 mm, stiff, cottony hairs absent, glands absent;

primary lateral leaflets 3–8 per side, on distal 1/3–2/3 of leaf axis, ± separate, largest ones cuneate to obovate, 1–2.2 × 0.8–1.5 cm, distal 1/3–2/3 of margin ± evenly incised ± 1/2 to midvein, ultimate teeth 3–6, ± ovate, 2–6 × 1.5–3 mm, apical tufts absent, surfaces green, not glaucous, straight hairs sparse to nearly absent (except on margins), ± appressed, 0.5–1 mm, stiff, cottony hairs 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.

1–3.

Inflorescences

solitary flowers at stolon nodes.

3–10(–20)-flowered, very openly cymose, sometimes racemiform.

Pedicels

(1–)2–5(–9) cm.

1.5–3.5(–5) cm, ± recurved in fruit.

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 ovate-elliptic, 2.5–4(–5) × 1.5–3 mm, sometimes toothed;

hypanthium 4–6 mm diam.;

sepals 4–6(–7) mm, apex acute, rarely acuminate;

petals 4.5–10 × 4–10 mm;

filaments 1.5–3(–4.5) mm, anthers 0.7–1 mm;

carpels 5–10, styles 2–3 mm.

Achenes

1.2–1.4 mm, smooth.

1.8–2 mm, smooth to faintly rugose, possibly carunculate.

Rootstocks

erect, stout, 0.5–2 cm.

2n

= 28.

Potentilla canadensis

Potentilla multijuga

Phenology Flowering late Mar–early Jun. Flowering spring–early summer.
Habitat Dry flats and slopes in lawns, pastures, roadsides, cherty slopes, dry meadows, edges of oak and conifer woodlands, often on acidic soil Brackish coastal meadows or marshes
Elevation 0–1500 m (0–4900 ft) 0–10 m (0–0 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
[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.)

Of conservation concern.

Potentilla multijuga is known only from a handful of collections made in the 1890s near the current site of Los Angeles International Airport. All efforts to locate extant plants have failed; the species is presumed extinct. Continued use of P. multijuga for this species required conservation of the name with a conserved type, because the type designated by Lehmann is a specimen of Horkelia cuneata Lindley var. cuneata (B. Ertter and J. L. Reveal 2008).

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

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 134. FNA vol. 9, p. 175.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Potentilla Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Multijugae
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. hookeriana, P. hyparctica, P. inclinata, P. intermedia, P. jepsonii, P. johnstonii, P. lasiodonta, P. litoralis, P. macounii, P. millefolia, P. modesta, P. morefieldii, 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) Lehmann: Index Seminum (Hamburg) 1849: 6. (1849)
Web links