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dwarf cinquefoil

Rocky Mountains cinquefoil

Stems

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

(0.2–)0.4–1(–1.5) 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 to pinnate, (1–)1.5–4(–7) cm;

petiole 0.5–2(–4) cm, vestiture not or scarcely seasonally dimorphic, long hairs abundant to dense, appressed to spreading, 1–1.5(–2) mm, weak to ± stiff, cottony hairs usually absent, crisped hairs absent or sparse, glands sparse;

leaflets 3 at tip of leaf axis plus 1–2(–3) additional pairs separated from tip by 1–5 mm, on distal 1/10–1/3 of leaf axis, largest leaflets obovate to oblanceolate, 0.5–1.5 × 0.3–1.2 cm, ± whole margin incised 1/2–3/4 to midvein, teeth 2–4(–5) per side, separate to overlapping, 1–4 mm, surfaces ± dissimilar, abaxial grayish green to white, straight hairs abundant, 1–1.5 mm, cottony and crisped hairs sparse to dense, rarely absent, glands sparse or obscured, adaxial green to grayish, straight hairs sparse to abundant, 1–2 mm, cottony hairs absent or rarely sparse, crisped hairs absent or sparse, glands ± 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.

0–1(–2).

Inflorescences

solitary flowers at stolon nodes.

(1–)2–5(–10)-flowered.

Pedicels

(1–)2–5(–9) cm.

0.5–1.5 cm (proximal to 2.5 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 ± ovate-elliptic, 2–4 × 1–1.5 mm;

sepals 3.5–5 mm, apex bluntly acute;

petals 4–6(–8) × 4–7 mm;

filaments 0.5–2 mm, anthers 0.5 mm;

carpels 10–20+, styles columnar-filiform, papillate-swollen at base, if at all, 0.8–1.5 mm.

Achenes

1.2–1.4 mm, smooth.

1.5 mm.

Rootstocks

erect, stout, 0.5–2 cm.

2n

= 28.

Potentilla canadensis

Potentilla saximontana

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 and meadows, rocky slopes, talus
Elevation 0–1500 m (0–4900 ft) 3200–4100 m (10500–13500 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; MT; UT; WY
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 saximontana is a small plant of very high elevations in the mountains of Colorado, the La Sal and Uinta mountains of Utah, and the Absaroka and Beartooth mountains of Wyoming and Montana. Although sometimes confused with P. rubricaulis (for example, W. A. Weber and R. C. Wittman 1996), the subpinnate leaves, open few-flowered inflorescences, and columnar-filiform styles make P. saximontana a distinct species.

The lectotype of Potentilla nivea Linnaeus var. dissecta S. Watson [= P. saximontana var. dissecta (S. Watson) Soják] has been tentatively included in P. saximontana (B. Ertter 2008), but P. saximontana is not otherwise known from the Canadian Rockies. See B. Ertter et al. (2013) for additional discussion.

The combination Potentilla rubripes Rydberg var. saximontana (Rydberg) Th. Wolf is incorrect, in that P. saximontana is the older name.

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

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 134. FNA vol. 9, p. 166.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Potentilla Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Subjugae
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. 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. 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) Rydberg: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 23: 399. (1896)
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