Potentilla canadensis |
Potentilla ovina |
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dwarf cinquefoil |
sheep cinquefoil |
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Habit | Plants rosetted to ± matted; taproots sometimes ± 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, (0.3–)0.8–2(–3.5) dm, lengths (1–)1.5–3 times basal leaves. |
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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 ± distinct, (1.5–)2–10(–13) × 0.7–3.5(–5) cm; petiole 0.5–3.5(–5) cm, straight hairs sparse to abundant, sometimes absent (var. decurrens), ± appressed to ascending, 1 mm, ± stiff, cottony hairs absent, glands sparse, often obscured; primary lateral leaflets 3–6 per side (often with additional interspersed leaflets), on distal 1/2–2/3(–3/4) of leaf axis, ± separate to ± overlapping, largest ones narrowly cuneate-oblanceolate to ± obovate, (0.3–)0.5–2(–3.5) × (0.2–)0.3–0.8(–1) cm, distal 1/4 to whole margin unevenly to pinnately (at least distal leaflets of var. ovina) incised 1/2–3/4+ to midvein, ultimate teeth 2–9(–11), linear or oblong to ovate, 1–7(–9) × 1–2 mm, apical tufts 0.5–2 mm, surfaces green to grayish, not glaucous, straight hairs sparse to abundant (sparser adaxially), sometimes absent (except on margins), loosely appressed, 0.5–2 mm, ± stiff, cottony hairs absent, crisped hairs sometimes sparse to common, glands absent or inconspicuous. |
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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. |
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Inflorescences | solitary flowers at stolon nodes. |
(1–)2–11(–20)-flowered, usually openly cymose. |
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Pedicels | (1–)2–5(–9) cm. |
(0.8–)1–2(–4) cm, straight to ± recurved in fruit. |
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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-lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, sometimes doubled, 2–3.5(–5) × 1 mm; hypanthium 3–5 mm diam.; sepals 3.5–5.5(–7) mm, apex acute to obtuse; petals 4–7(–8) × 3.5–8 mm; filaments 1–2.5 mm, anthers 0.4–1 mm usually ± 1/2 as long as filaments; carpels 10–20, styles 2–3 mm. |
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Achenes | 1.2–1.4 mm, smooth. |
1.5–2 mm, smooth, not carunculate. |
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Rootstocks | erect, stout, 0.5–2 cm. |
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2n | = 28. |
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Potentilla canadensis |
Potentilla ovina |
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Phenology | Flowering late Mar–early Jun. | |||||
Habitat | Dry flats and slopes in lawns, pastures, roadsides, cherty slopes, dry meadows, edges of oak and conifer woodlands, often on acidic soil | |||||
Elevation | 0–1500 m (0–4900 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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CO; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WY; AB; BC
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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.) |
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora). Potentilla ovina is here accepted as an implicit new name by J. M. Macoun for P. diversifolia var. pinnatisecta, in agreement with N. H. Holmgren (1997b). In contrast, B. C. Johnston (1980) considered the names heterotypic. Potentilla ovina has priority at the species rank over P. pinnatisecta by one month. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Key |
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Source | FNA vol. 9, p. 134. | FNA vol. 9, p. 171. | ||||
Parent taxa | Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Potentilla | Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Multijugae | ||||
Sibling taxa | ||||||
Subordinate taxa | ||||||
Synonyms | P. canadensis var. pumila, P. canadensis var. villosissima, P. caroliniana, P. pumila | P. diversifolia var. pinnatisecta, P. pinnatisecta, P. plattensis var. pinnatisecta | ||||
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 498. (1753) | J. M. Macoun: Canad. Rec. Sci. 6: 464. (1896) | ||||
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