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sheep cinquefoil

Habit Plants rosetted to ± matted; taproots sometimes ± fleshy-thickened. Plants scarcely to ± tufted.
Caudex branches

thick, not columnar, not sheathed with marcescent whole leaves.

Stems

prostrate to ascending, (0.3–)0.8–2(–3.5) dm, lengths (1–)1.5–3 times basal leaves.

ascending to erect, (0.3–)0.8–2.5(–4.5) dm, lengths (2–)3–5 times basal leaves.

Basal leaves

pinnate with distal leaflets ± distinct, (1.5–)2–10(–13) × 0.7–3.5(–5) cm;

petiole 0.5–3.5(–5) cm, straight hairs sparse to abundant, sometimes absent (var. decurrens), ± appressed to ascending, 1 mm, ± stiff, cottony hairs absent, glands sparse, often obscured;

primary lateral leaflets 3–6 per side (often with additional interspersed leaflets), on distal 1/2–2/3(–3/4) of leaf axis, ± separate to ± overlapping, largest ones narrowly cuneate-oblanceolate to ± obovate, (0.3–)0.5–2(–3.5) × (0.2–)0.3–0.8(–1) cm, distal 1/4 to whole margin unevenly to pinnately (at least distal leaflets of var. ovina) incised 1/2–3/4+ to midvein, ultimate teeth 2–9(–11), linear or oblong to ovate, 1–7(–9) × 1–2 mm, apical tufts 0.5–2 mm, surfaces green to grayish, not glaucous, straight hairs sparse to abundant (sparser adaxially), sometimes absent (except on margins), loosely appressed, 0.5–2 mm, ± stiff, cottony hairs absent, crisped hairs sometimes sparse to common, glands absent or inconspicuous.

1.5–12(–20) cm;

petiole 1–7(–15) cm, long hairs sparse to abundant, spreading to ± ascending, rarely loosely appressed, 1–2(–2.5) mm, usually stiff, sometimes weak (subsp. chamissonis), verrucose, short and/or crisped hairs absent or sparse to abundant, cottony hairs absent, glands absent or sparse;

leaflets separate to ± overlapping, central obovate, 1–3.5(–4.5) × 0.5–2(–3) cm, usually petiolulate, petiolule to 5 mm, base cuneate, margins slightly revolute, distal ± 3/4 incised ± 1/2 to midvein, teeth (2–)3–4(–6) per side, ± approximate to distant, surfaces dissimilar, often strongly so, abaxial white to gray, long hairs 0.5–1.8 mm, cottony-crisped hairs ± dense, adaxial green, sometimes grayish green, long hairs sparse to abundant, short-crisped hairs sparse to abundant.

Cauline leaves

1–2.

(0–)1–2.

Inflorescence(s)

(1–)2–11(–20)-flowered, usually openly cymose.

1–7(–15)-flowered.

Pedicels

(0.8–)1–2(–4) cm, straight to ± recurved in fruit.

1.5–5 cm in flower, to 6(–10) cm in fruit.

Flowers

epicalyx bractlets linear-lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, sometimes doubled, 2–3.5(–5) × 1 mm;

hypanthium 3–5 mm diam.;

sepals 3.5–5.5(–7) mm, apex acute to obtuse;

petals 4–7(–8) × 3.5–8 mm;

filaments 1–2.5 mm, anthers 0.4–1 mm usually ± 1/2 as long as filaments;

carpels 10–20, styles 2–3 mm.

epicalyx bractlets linear-lanceolate to lanceolate-elliptic, 2–5(–7) × 0.4–1.2(–1.5) mm, 1/4–1/2 as wide as sepals, margins usually flat, red glands absent or sparse and inconspicuous;

hypanthium 3–5 mm diam.;

sepals 3–6(–8) mm, apex acute;

petals 4–7(–10) × 4–7(–9) mm, ± longer than sepals;

filaments 0.8–1 mm, anthers 0.4 mm;

carpels 28–40, apical hairs absent, styles conic-columnar, strongly papillate-swollen in proximal 1/5–1/3, 1–1.5 mm.

Achenes

1.5–2 mm, smooth, not carunculate.

1.1 mm.

Potentilla ovina

Potentilla arenosa

Distribution
from FNA
CO; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WY; AB; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; AB; BC; MB; NT; NU; QC; SK; YT; Eurasia
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Potentilla ovina is here accepted as an implicit new name by J. M. Macoun for P. diversifolia var. pinnatisecta, in agreement with N. H. Holmgren (1997b). In contrast, B. C. Johnston (1980) considered the names heterotypic. Potentilla ovina has priority at the species rank over P. pinnatisecta by one month.

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

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

The name Potentilla arenosa is now used for most arctic and subarctic plants previously treated as P. hookeriana or P. nivea subsp. hookeriana (Lehmann) Hiitonen. As noted by J. Soják (1986), the type of P. hookeriana has quinate leaves; that name is now restricted to a Rocky Mountain species in sect. Rubricaules. The arctic and subarctic material was briefly (1989–1999) called P. nivea, as discussed under that species. Because the type of P. nivea var. arenosa and other northern Asian specimens correspond closely to the North American plants, the name P. arenosa is assigned here.

The two subspecies differ only in one character, the petiole hairs, but are largely allopatric. Subspecies arenosa occurs in western and northern Greenland, northern North America (very northern in the east), and northern Asia (and perhaps northeasternmost European Russia); subsp. chamissonis occurs in southern Greenland, northeastern North America (more southern than subsp. arenosa), and northern Europe at least east to the Urals.

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

Key
1. Distal leaflets: ± whole margin pinnately incised 3/4+ to midvein, teeth 4–9(–11), linear, surfaces grayish, rarely green, hairs sparse to dense.
var. ovina
1. Distal leaflets: distal 1/4–1/2(–3/4) of margin unevenly to pinnately incised 1/2–2/3(–3/4) to midvein, teeth 2–5(–7), ovate to oblong, surfaces green, hairs absent (except on margins) or sparse.
var. decurrens
1. Petioles with common to abundant short and/or stiff crisped hairs in addition to long verrucose hairs.
subsp. arenosa
1. Petioles with sparse or no short and/or soft crisped hairs in addition to long verrucose hairs.
subsp. chamissonis
Source FNA vol. 9, p. 171. FNA vol. 9, p. 200.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Multijugae Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Niveae
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. newberryi, P. nivea, P. norvegica, 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. 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. 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. ovina var. decurrens, P. ovina var. ovina
P. arenosa subsp. arenosa, P. arenosa subsp. chamissonis
Synonyms P. diversifolia var. pinnatisecta, P. pinnatisecta, P. plattensis var. pinnatisecta P. nivea var. arenosa
Name authority J. M. Macoun: Canad. Rec. Sci. 6: 464. (1896) (Turczaninow) Juzepczuk: in V. L. Komarov et al., Fl. URSS 10: 137. (1941)
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