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blue-leaf cinquefoil, different-leaf cinquefoil, diverse-leaf cinquefoil, mountain meadow cinquefoil, vari-leaf cinquefoil

fan-foil, fan-leaf cinquefoil, fanleaf or fanfoil or Mount Rainier cinquefoil, fringe-leaf cinquefoil, high mountain cinquefoil

Habit Plants ± openly matted; caudex branches short to elongate, ± stout.
Glands

absent or inconspicuous, uncolored.

Stems

mostly ± ascending, 0.5–3(–4.5) dm.

ascending to erect, (0.3–)1–3 dm, lengths 2 times basal leaves.

Basal leaves

often 2-ranked, palmate, sometimes subpalmate, 2–20 cm;

petiole (0.5–)1–8(–14) cm, long hairs often absent, sometimes sparse to abundant, usually appressed, 1–2 mm, weak to ± stiff, short, crisped, and cottony hairs absent, glands absent or sparse;

leaflets 5–6(–7), sometimes with 1–2(–4) additional, smaller, entire leaflets, on tip or to distal 1/10(–1/4) of leaf axis, separate, largest ones oblanceolate or cuneate to obovate, 1–4(–6) × 0.5–1.5(–2) cm, margins flat, distal 1/3–1/2(–2/3) ± evenly incised 1/2 or nearly to midvein, undivided medial blade 1.5–7(–10) mm wide, teeth 1–3(–5) per side, broadly lanceolate or linear to narrowly oblong, 1–5(–8) mm, surfaces similar adaxial ± less hairy, ± blue-green, usually glaucous, long hairs sparse to abundant (often restricted to veins, distal teeth, and margins), short, crisped, and cottony hairs absent, glands absent or sparse.

2-ranked, ternate, (1–)3–12(–20) cm;

stipules: apex rounded;

petiole (0.5–)1–15(–18) cm, hairs and glands usually absent;

leaflets 3, central widely obovate to flabellate, (0.5–)1–5 × (0.4–)1–3(–3.5) cm, petiolule 0–5(–10) mm, margins flat, not or shallowly lobed (sinuses extending less than 1/2 to midvein), distal 1/2–3/4 usually unevenly incised 1/4–1/2 to midvein, teeth 3–7 per side, often secondarily toothed, surfaces similar, green, hairs absent or sparse, rarely common, 0.5–1 mm, glands absent or sparse.

Cauline leaves

(0–)1–2(–3).

Inflorescences

2–10(–20)-flowered.

1–6-flowered.

Pedicels

(0.5–)1–3(–6.5) cm.

straight, 0.3–4.5(–5) cm, not much longer in fruit than in flower.

Flowers

epicalyx bractlets lanceolate to elliptic, 2–5 × 0.8–1.2(–1.6) mm, hairs sparse to common, rarely abundant, ± ascending, glands absent or inconspicuous;

hypanthium 3.5–5 mm diam.;

sepals (2–)2.5–4.5(–5) mm, apex acute to short acuminate;

petals (4–)5–10(–12) × 4–9(–10) mm;

filaments 1.5–2.5(–3) mm, anthers 0.4–0.7(–0.9) mm;

carpels 25–40, styles filiform above papillate-swollen base, 1.5–2.5(–3) mm.

epicalyx bractlets often toothed or 2-lobed, elliptic to oval, 3.5–7 × (1–)1.5–3 mm, margins flat;

hypanthium 3–7 mm diam.;

sepals 4–8 mm, apex acute to obtuse;

petals dark yellow, (5–)6–10(–12) × (3–)5–10 mm;

filaments 1.5–3 mm, anthers 0.6–1.5 mm;

carpels 20–50, styles filiform, not or slightly papillate-swollen proximally, 1.6–2.5 mm.

Achenes

1.2–1.6 mm.

1.2–1.5 mm.

2n

= 28.

Potentilla glaucophylla

Potentilla flabellifolia

Phenology Flowering summer.
Habitat Moist to wet or swampy, sometimes dry, stream banks, lakeshores, meadows, in conifer woodlands, subalpine and alpine grassy, rocky slopes, near or above timberline
Elevation 1000–3700 m (3300–12100 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CA; CO; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; NL; NT; SK; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; ID; MT; NV; OR; WA; WY; AB; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Potentilla glaucophylla replaces P. diversifolia; an examination of the lectotype of the latter confirms J. Soják’s (1996) conclusion that P. diversifolia applies to a hybrid involving P. glaucophylla and P. hippiana. Historically, this species was often termed P. dissecta Pursh, a misapplied name that has been rejected (B. Ertter et al. 2008).

In addition to the nomenclatural change, the circumscription of Potentilla glaucophylla is here restricted to plants with usually glaucous, blue-green, distally toothed leaflets that are usually glabrate (at least in var. glaucophylla). Plants from the Colorado Plateau and southern Rocky Mountains formerly included in this species and having dark green leaves, more leaflet teeth, and larger anthers are transferred either to P. townsendii or to a currently undescribed entity.

The two-ranked leaves of Potentilla glaucophylla suggest a possible connection to P. crantzii in sect. Aureae.

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

Potentilla flabellifolia is found in the mountains from southern British Columbia, southwestern Alberta, and southwestern Montana to the southern Sierra Nevada of California.

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

Key
1. Leaflets incised 1/3–1/2 to midvein, teeth broadly lanceolate; range of species.
var. glaucophylla
1. Leaflets incised 3/4+ to midvein, teeth linear to narrowly oblong; northern Rocky Mountains.
var. perdissecta
Source FNA vol. 9, p. 152. FNA vol. 9, p. 190.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Graciles Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Aureae
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. 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. 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
P. glaucophylla var. glaucophylla, P. glaucophylla var. perdissecta
Synonyms P. diversifolia var. glaucophylla
Name authority Lehmann: Index Seminum (Hamburg) 1836: 7. (1836) Hooker ex Torrey & A. Gray: Fl. N. Amer. 1: 442. (1840)
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