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dwarf cinquefoil

La Sal 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.

decumbent to ascending, 0.5–2(–2.5) 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.

subpalmate, (2–)3–8 cm;

petiole 1–4 cm, long hairs sparse to abundant, ascending to spreading, 0.5–2.5 mm, weak to ± stiff, scarcely to ± verrucose, short-crisped hairs abundant, cottony hairs absent, glands sparse to common;

leaflets (3–)5(–7), proximalmost separated by 1–5 mm, central narrowly obovate-elliptic, (1–)1.5–2.5(–3) × 0.8–1.5 cm, petiolules 0–1 mm, distal 3/4 to whole margin incised 2/3–3/4 to midvein, teeth 5–7 per side, (2–)3–6 mm, apical tufts 0.5–1 mm, abaxial surfaces grayish white to white, long hairs abundant, cottony-crisped hairs usually dense, short hairs and glands absent or sparse, adaxial grayish green, long hairs common to abundant, 1–2 mm, ± stiff, short-crisped hairs abundant, 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.

(3–)5–10-flowered, congested or ± elongating in fruit, branch angle 10–30°.

Pedicels

(1–)2–5(–9) cm.

0.2–1 cm, proximal to 1.5 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 ± lanceolate, (2–)3–5(–6) × 0.5–1.5 mm;

hypanthium 3.5–5 mm diam.;

sepals 4–6 mm, apex narrowly acute, glands ± common, only partly obscured;

petals yellow, ± overlapping, (4–)5–6 × 4.5–5.5 mm, longer than sepals;

filaments 0.5–2 mm, anthers 0.7 mm;

carpels 50–70, styles 1.2–1.5 mm.

Achenes

1.2–1.4 mm, smooth.

1.3 mm.

Rootstocks

erect, stout, 0.5–2 cm.

2n

= 28.

Potentilla canadensis

Potentilla paucijuga

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 Alpine tundra, patches of turf in talus
Elevation 0–1500 m (0–4900 ft) 3300–3700 m (10800–12100 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
UT
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 paucijuga is a distinctive species endemic to the La Sal Mountains in Grand and San Juan counties. Diagnostic features include silvery-silky subpalmate leaves, relatively showy flowers with elongate epicalyx bractlets and sepals, and styles that are nearly 1.5 mm. In Colorado (for example, W. A. Weber and R. C. Wittman 1996), P. pensylvanica var. paucijuga has been applied to what is treated here as P. jepsonii (sect. Pensylvanicae).

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

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 134. FNA vol. 9, p. 210.
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. 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. 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. pensylvanica var. paucijuga, P. rubricaulis var. paucijuga
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 498. (1753) Rydberg: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 348. (1908)
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