The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

sheep cinquefoil

cutleaf cinquefoil, potentille des deux mondes, staghorn cinquefoil

Habit Plants rosetted to ± matted; taproots sometimes ± fleshy-thickened.
Stems

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

decumbent to ascending, rarely erect, 1–5 dm.

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.

subpinnate, 7–22(–25) cm;

petiole 3–12(–15) cm, long hairs ± abundant, appressed to ascending, 0.5–3 mm, stiff, short hairs absent, cottony or crisped hairs absent, glands absent or sparse;

leaflets 3(–4) per side, on distal 1/5–1/3(–1/2) of leaf axis, overlapping or not, terminal ones oblong to broadly oblong, 1.5–5 × 0.7–2 cm, margins strongly revolute, incised nearly to midvein, undivided medial blade 1–3 mm wide, teeth (3–)4–5 per side, linear, rarely narrowly oblong to narrowly lanceolate, surfaces strongly dissimilar, abaxial white or grayish white, long hairs abundant, ± 1 mm, stiff verrucose on veins, sparse and soft between veins, short hairs absent, crisped and cottony hairs dense, glands absent, adaxial dark green, long hairs sparse to common, tightly appressed, 0.5–1 mm, short hairs absent, cottony and crisped hairs absent, glands absent or sparse.

Cauline leaves

1–2.

(1–)2–3.

Inflorescences

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

(5–)10–40+-flowered, ± congested to open.

Pedicels

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

0.3–1 cm (proximal to 3 cm).

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 to narrowly oblong-lanceolate, 3–5 × 0.9–1.3 mm, lengths ± 3/4 times sepals, margins flat;

hypanthium 2.5–3.5 mm diam.;

sepals 4–7(–8) mm, apex acute to obtuse, abaxial surfaces: venation prominent at least proximally, glands ± sparse, obscured to evident;

petals pale yellow, 3.5–5 × 3–5 mm, lengths ± equal to sepals;

filaments 0.5–1.5 mm, anthers 0.5–0.6 mm;

carpels 40–60, styles papillate-swollen at very base, if at all, 0.8–0.9 mm.

Achenes

1.5–2 mm, smooth, not carunculate.

1.3–1.5 mm, rugose.

2n

= 28.

Potentilla ovina

Potentilla bimundorum

Phenology Flowering summer.
Habitat Road and railway verges, gravelly ruderal sites, acidic rocky outcrops, stream banks and gravel bars, sandy-gravelly flood plains, gravel ridges, sandy lakeshores, sandy steppe bluffs
Elevation 0–1000 m (0–3300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WY; AB; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; AB; MB; NT; NU; ON; QC; SK; YT; e Asia (Russian Far East)
[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.)

Potentilla bimundorum is the correct name for what has been treated as P. multifida Linnaeus in North America. It is the only American representative of the mainly Eurasian P. multifida group, which is sometimes treated as a distinct section. J. Soják (2005) presented a useful survey and key to this group, showing that its species, in spite of being merged within P. multifida in the broad sense by many authors, are each distinct and with their own range. Potentilla multifida in the narrow sense is restricted to eastern Europe and western Siberia.

(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
Source FNA vol. 9, p. 171. FNA vol. 9, p. 218.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Multijugae Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Pensylvanicae
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. arenosa, P. argentea, P. arizonica, P. basaltica, P. bicrenata, P. biennis, P. biflora, 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
Synonyms P. diversifolia var. pinnatisecta, P. pinnatisecta, P. plattensis var. pinnatisecta P. multifida subsp. bimundorum
Name authority J. M. Macoun: Canad. Rec. Sci. 6: 464. (1896) Soják: Č as. Nár. Muz. Praze Rada P ř ír. 141: 195. (1974)
Web links