Potentilla canadensis |
Potentilla multijuga |
|
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dwarf cinquefoil |
Ballona cinquefoil, lost cinquefoil |
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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. |
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2n | = 28. |
|
Potentilla canadensis |
Potentilla multijuga |
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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 |
CT; DC; DE; KY; MA; MD; ME; MO; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; SC; TN; VA; VT; WV; NS; ON
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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 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 | ||
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 |