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Newberry's cinquefoil

common cinquefoil, old-field cinquefoil, old-field five-fingers, potentille simple, simple cinquefoil

Stems

initially erect to ascending to 5 dm, then arching above ground-level, becoming prostrate, flagelliform, not branched, rooting at distal nodes, (0.5–)1.5–12 dm.

Basal leaves

petiole 1–3.5 cm, long hairs ± abundant, 0.5–1.5 mm, short hairs absent or sparse, rarely common;

leaflets 0.2–1 cm, lobes oblanceolate to narrowly elliptic, (0.5–)1–2 mm wide, longs hairs ± abundant, short hairs absent or sparse, glands sparse to abundant.

persistent or ephemeral, usually palmate, 3.5–20 cm;

petiole 1–15 cm, long hairs ± abundant, appressed to spreading, (0.5–)1–3 mm, weak to ± stiff, glands absent or sparse, sometimes common;

leaflets 5(–7), central narrowly elliptic to obovate, 1.5–5 × 0.5–2.5 cm, distal 1/2–3/4 of margin incised 1/4–1/3 to midvein, teeth 4–8(–13) per side, surfaces similar to ± dissimilar, abaxial green to silvery white, sparsely to abundantly hairy, adaxial green, glabrate or sparsely to moderately hairy.

Cauline leaves

(0–)1 proximal to 1st flowering node, well expanded at anthesis, usually palmate, 2.5–6(–9) cm;

petiole 0–2(–4) cm;

leaflets (3–)5, often more elongate than those of basal leaves, ± elliptic to oblanceolate, sometimes obovate, 1.5–6(–7.5) × 0.5–2(–3) cm, apex acute to obtuse.

Inflorescences

solitary flowers at stolon nodes.

Pedicels

1–5(–8.5) cm.

Flowers

epicalyx bractlets broadly lanceolate to elliptic, 1.5–4(–5) × (0.4–)0.8–1.3 mm;

sepals 2–4(–5) mm, apex ± acute;

petals (3–)4–6 × (2–)3–5 mm;

filaments 1–2(–2.5) mm, anthers 0.4–0.6 mm;

carpels 20–50.

5(–6)-merous;

epicalyx bractlets linear to narrowly lanceolate, 2–5 × 1–1.5(–2) mm, often larger than sepals (especially in bud);

hypanthium 3–5 mm diam.;

sepals 4–6 mm, apex broadly acute;

petals 4–7 × 3–6 mm, apex rounded to ± retuse;

stamens ca. 20, filaments 0.5–2 mm, anthers 0.6–1 mm;

carpels 20–50, styles 0.8–1.5 mm.

Achenes

0.9–1.2 mm.

0.9–1.2 mm, faintly rugose.

Rootstocks

horizontal, irregularly thickened or moniliform, 1–8 cm.

Potentilla newberryi

Potentilla simplex

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering (Mar–)Apr–Jul(–Aug).
Habitat Moist, sandy to clayey, more or less alkaline soil, especially where seasonally inundated near streams, ponds, and lakes Dry or infrequently moist flats and slopes in pastures, dry meadows, roadsides, old fields, edges of mixed oak and conifer woodlands, often on acidic soil
Elevation 1300–1800 m (4300–5900 ft) 0–800 m (0–2600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; NV; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; TN; TX; VA; VT; WI; WV; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC; SPM
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Potentilla newberryi grows in valley bottoms in south-central Oregon, northeastern California, and northwestern Nevada. The only specimen supposedly collected in south-central Washington (W. N. Suksdorf 2718, WTU) was gathered in 1898.

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

The distinction between Potentilla simplex and P. canadensis is subtle, and the former is often misidentified as the latter; additional features to distinguish the two species are provided by M. L. Fernald (1931).

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

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 137. FNA vol. 9, p. 134.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Arenicolae Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Potentilla
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. millefolia, P. modesta, P. morefieldii, P. multijuga, P. multisecta, P. nana, 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. 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 Ivesia gracilis P. canadensis var. simplex, P. simplex var. argyrisma, P. simplex var. calvescens
Name authority A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 6: 532. (1865) — not P. gracilis Douglas ex Hooker 1830 Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 303. (1803)
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