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Hipp's cinquefoil, horse cinquefoil, potentille de Hipp, woolly cinquefoil

scarlet cinquefoil, Thurber's cinquefoil

Stems

(0.3–)2–4(–5) dm, lengths (1–)2–4 times basal leaves.

(2–)3–7(–10) dm.

Basal leaves

pinnate to subpinnate, (3–)5–15(–25) cm;

petiole 1–10(–15) cm, long hairs abundant to dense, tightly appressed, 1–2.5 mm, stiff, short hairs absent or obscured, crisped-cottony hairs absent or sparse to common, glands absent or obscured;

leaflets not conduplicate, lateral ones evenly (to unevenly in argyrea phase) paired, (2–)3–6(–7) per side on distal (1/6–)1/5–1/2 of leaf axis, distal pairs ± decurrent, often confluent with terminal leaflet, larger leaflets oblanceolate or narrowly obovate to oblong, 1–5(–6) × 0.3–1.5 cm, distal (2/3–)3/4 to whole margin incised 1/2 or less (rarely more) to midvein, teeth (5–)7–12(–18) per side, 1–4 mm, surfaces ± to strongly dissimilar, abaxial white, long hairs abundant (mostly on, but not limited to, veins), 1–2 mm, stiff, short hairs absent or obscured, crisped-cottony hairs abundant to dense, glands absent or obscured, adaxial green to grayish, long hairs sparse to common, rarely absent, short or crisped to, sometimes, cottony hairs absent or sparse to common, glands sparse.

palmate, (2–)4–15(–30) cm;

petiole (2–)3–10(–25) cm, long hairs sparse to common, spreading, 1–3.5 mm, weak, glands sparse to abundant, sometimes absent;

leaflets 5(–7), at tip of leaf axis, central one (1–)2–6(–8) × (0.5–)1–2.5(–4) cm, petiolules 0(–10) mm, distal 3/4 to whole margin incised 1/5–1/4 to midvein, teeth (4–)7–15(–19) per side (sometimes secondarily toothed), (1–)2–3(–5) mm, teeth apex acute to ± obtuse, surfaces slightly to strongly dissimilar, abaxial pale green to white, straight hairs sparse to abundant, often dense on veins, 0.5–3 mm, cottony hairs absent or sparse to dense, glands ± sparse or absent, sometimes obscured, adaxial green, straight hairs sparse to abundant, 0.2–1 mm, cottony hairs absent, glands ± sparse or absent.

Cauline leaves

1–2(–3).

stipules usually toothed, sometimes entire.

Inflorescences

10–30-flowered.

(4–)10–35-flowered.

Pedicels

0.3–3(–5) cm.

0.5–4 cm.

Flowers

epicalyx bractlets narrowly elliptic to lanceolate, rarely linear, 2–5 × 0.5–1.5 mm, (1/2–)2/3 as long as sepals, abaxial vestiture similar to or ± sparser than sepals, usually not glabrescent, straight hairs ± abundant, crisped to sometimes ± cottony hairs absent or sparse to abundant;

hypanthium 3–7 mm diam.;

sepals 4–5.5(–6.5) mm, apex acute to acuminate;

petals 4–8 × 4–7 mm;

filaments 0.5–2.5 mm, anthers 0.6–1.1 mm;

carpels (5–)10–30, styles 1.7–2.5 mm.

epicalyx bractlets narrowly to broadly lanceolate-elliptic (rarely toothed or lobed), 4–9(–14) × (1–)1.5–2 mm;

sepals 4–10(–15) mm, apex acute to acuminate;

petals ± dark reddish throughout, (3.5–)6–10 × 6–10 mm;

filaments 1.5–3 mm, anthers 0.8–1 mm;

carpels 30–70, styles 2.5–3.5 mm.

Achenes

1.4–1.8 mm, smooth to faintly rugose.

1.5 mm, ± rugose.

2n

= 42, 70, 77, 84, 98.

Potentilla hippiana

Potentilla thurberi

Phenology Flowering summer.
Habitat Dry grasslands and meadows, in aspen and conifer woodlands or alpine tundra, disturbed sites
Elevation 500–3400 m (1600–11200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CO; ID; MI; MN; MT; ND; NE; NM; NV; SD; UT; WY; AB; BC; MB; NS; NT; ON; QC; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; nw Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Potentilla hippiana is most common and distinctive in the Colorado Plateau and southern Rocky Mountains, with outliers in the mountains of Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico. Occurrences are more scattered in the northern Rocky Mountains and Great Plains, where intergradation with P. effusa is common. Among these intermediates are the argyrea phase and the single report from Idaho (B. C. Johnston 1980). Potentilla hippiana is probably adventive in Nova Scotia, eastern Ontario, Quebec, and Michigan, and possibly the Northwest Territories. The reported occurrence in central Alaska (E. Hultén 1968) is based on a specimen of P. pensylvanica (CAN).

Significant variation exists throughout the range of Potentilla hippiana, including dwarfism, leaf division, leaflet dissection, adaxial leaflet vestiture, and pedicel length. Some of this variation might merit taxonomic recognition upon further analysis, especially if correlated with ploidy level (6x through 12x). At present, the differences used to distinguish var. argyrea are not found to be sufficiently correlated with distribution to merit formal taxonomic recognition.

Complicating the infraspecific variation is a tendency for Potentilla hippiana to intergrade with other species, in particular P. effusa. Beyond sect. Leucophyllae, the frequency of hybrids with P. pulcherrima blurs the distinction between the two species; P. gracilis var. hippianoides S. L. Welsh & N. D. Atwood is probably one of the resultant intermediates.

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

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

The abaxially white-cottony leaflets of var. atrorubens usually make it easily distinguished from var. thurberi, which lacks cottony hairs and is usually less hairy in general. The two varieties sometimes occur together and intermediates between the extremes are common.

The degree of glandularity and the lengths of the central leaflets are greater in the southern populations of both varieties. The glands are less widely distributed on the plants northward and are fewer in northern Arizona and New Mexico. Leaflets are shorter and broader north of Graham County, Arizona, and Otero County, New Mexico.

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

Key
1. Leaflets pale green abaxially, cottony hairs absent.
var. thurberi
1. Leaflets ± white to white abaxially, cottony hairs sparse to dense.
var. atrorubens
Source FNA vol. 9, p. 162. FNA vol. 9, p. 149.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Leucophyllae Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Rubrae
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. glaucophylla, P. gracilis, P. grayi, P. hickmanii, 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. saximontana, P. sierrae-blancae, P. simplex, P. sterilis, P. stipularis, P. subgorodkovii, P. subjuga, P. subvahliana, P. subviscosa, P. supina, 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. thurberi var. atrorubens, P. thurberi var. thurberi
Synonyms P. leucophylla, P. argyrea, P. effusa var. argyrea, P. hippiana var. argyrea, P. hippiana var. diffusa, P. propinqua
Name authority Lehmann: Nov. Stirp. Pug. 2: 7. (1830) — not Pallas 1773 A. Gray: Pl. Nov. Thurb., 318. (1854)
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