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cut-leaf cinquefoil, feather cinquefoil, feather or many-leaf or Klamath cinquefoil, many leaf cinquefoil

strawberry cinquefoil

Habit Plants ± rosetted; taproots fleshy-thickened. Plants tufted to cushion-forming; caudex branches short, stout, diam. 1–1.5(–2) cm, including old leaf bases.
Stems

usually prostrate, sometimes ± decumbent, 0.4–2(–3) dm, lengths 1–2 times basal leaves.

ascending to erect, 0.3–1.5(–2) dm, lengths 1–2 times basal leaves.

Basal leaves

pinnate with distal leaflets ± confluent, 2–15(–20) × 1–3 cm;

petiole 0.5–2(–3) cm, straight hairs sparse to abundant, appressed to spreading, 0.5–1.5 mm, stiff, cottony hairs absent, glands absent or sparse;

primary lateral leaflets (3–)5–13 per side, on distal 2/3–3/4+ of leaf axis, separate to overlapping, largest ones cuneate to flabellate, 0.5–1.5(–2) × 0.5–2 cm, distal 2/3 to whole margin palmately or unevenly, rarely pinnately, incised 2/3 to completely to midvein, ultimate teeth or segments (1–)2–10, linear to broadly oblanceolate, 2–10 × (0.5–)1–2 mm, apical tufts to 1 mm, surfaces green to grayish green, not glaucous, straight hairs sparse to abundant, appressed to spreading, 0.5–1.5(–2) mm, stiff, cottony hairs absent, glands sparse to common.

not in ranks, ternate, (1–)4–10(–15) cm;

stipules: apex acute to obtuse;

petiole (0.3–)2–11(–13) cm, long hairs abundant, ascending to spreading, 1–2.3 mm, soft, glands sparse to common;

leaflets 3, central obovate, 0.7–2.5 × 0.5–1.6 cm, petiolule 0–1 mm, margins revolute, not lobed, distal 1/2–2/3 evenly incised ± 1/3 to midvein, teeth 2–3(–4) per side, surfaces ± similar, green (paler abaxially), hairs common, 1–1.5 mm, glands common (sparser adaxially).

Cauline leaves

(0–)1–2.

Inflorescences

3–6(–10)-flowered, loosely cymose, sometimes racemiform.

1–3-flowered.

Pedicels

(0.5–)1–2(–4.5) cm, ± recurved in fruit.

straight, 0.5–2 cm in flower, to 3.5 cm in fruit.

Flowers

epicalyx bractlets ± elliptic, 2–4(–6) × 1–2(–2.5) mm;

hypanthium 3–6 mm diam.;

sepals 4–6(–8) mm, apex acute;

petals 4–8(–10) × 3–7(–9) mm;

filaments 2–3.5 mm, anthers 0.7–1 mm;

carpels 10–30, styles (1.5–)2–3 mm.

epicalyx bractlets oblong, 3–7 × 1.2–2.5 mm, margins revolute;

hypanthium 4–6 mm diam.;

sepals 4–6(–7) mm, apex broadly acute to obtuse;

petals yellow, 9–12 × 8–10 mm;

filaments (2–)2.8–3.2 mm, anthers 0.5–0.8 mm;

carpels 40–50, styles filiform, not or scarcely papillate-swollen proximally, 1.7–2 mm.

Achenes

1.5–2 mm, smooth, often ± carunculate.

1.3–1.5.

2n

= 42, 56 (Russian Far East).

Potentilla millefolia

Potentilla fragiformis

Phenology Flowering spring–summer. Flowering late spring–summer.
Habitat Vernally to permanently wet meadows, moist openings in conifer forests and sagebrush, alkaline flats Leymus-Potentilla sand dunes, coastal gravel bars, beach ridges
Elevation 700–2200 m (2300–7200 ft) 0–10 m (0–0 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; NV; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; e Asia (Russian Far East)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Potentilla millefolia occurs from central Oregon to the east side of the Sierra Nevada of California, with a disjunct occurrence on the alkaline flats of Reese River Valley, Nevada. Significant variation occurs in vestiture type, leaflet dissection, and flower size, but with minimal geographic correlation. The most distinctive variant, represented by the type of P. klamathensis, has relatively long, slender, spreading, pustule-based hairs, often intermixed with shorter hairs. This vestiture type does not appear to be correlated with any other characters or geographic distribution and may vary within a population.

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

Recent collections of Potentilla fragiformis in Alaska on the coast of the Bering and Chukchi seas have confirmed historical reports (P. A. Rydberg 1908d) of this Beringian species in North America. Dwarf plants from St. Lawrence Island are somewhat intermediate to P. nana but have the larger petals and longer styles of P. fragiformis.

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

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 174. FNA vol. 9, p. 191.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Multijugae 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. 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. 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. 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
Synonyms P. klamathensis, P. millefolia var. klamathensis, P. plattensis var. klamathensis, P. plattensis var. millefolia
Name authority Rydberg: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 23: 433, plate 277, figs. 1–5. (1896) D. F. K. Schlechtendal: Ges. Naturf. Freunde Berlin Mag. Neuesten Entdeck. Gesammten Naturk. 7: 294. (1816)
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