Potentilla ovina |
Potentilla brevifolia |
|||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
sheep cinquefoil |
short-leaf cinquefoil, sparse-leaf 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. |
|||||
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. |
petiole 1–4 cm, eglandular hairs absent or sparse, spreading, less than 1 mm, weak, glands abundant. |
||||
Cauline leaves | 1–2. |
|||||
Inflorescences | (1–)2–11(–20)-flowered, usually openly cymose. |
|||||
Pedicels | (0.8–)1–2(–4) cm, straight to ± recurved 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 lanceolate-elliptic to ovate, 2–4 × 0.8–2 mm; sepals 3–5(–7) mm, apex broadly acute to obtuse; petals 3.5–6.5 × 3–5 mm; filaments 1–2.5 mm, anthers 0.5–0.6 mm; carpels 10–15. |
||||
Achenes | 1.5–2 mm, smooth, not carunculate. |
1–1.5 mm. |
||||
Potentilla ovina |
Potentilla brevifolia |
|||||
Phenology | Flowering summer. | |||||
Habitat | Moist rocky slopes and talus, alpine grassy areas, subalpine conifer woodlands | |||||
Elevation | 2500–3600 m (8200–11800 ft) | |||||
Distribution |
CO; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WY; AB; BC
|
ID; MT; NV; OR; WY
|
||||
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 brevifolia is found mainly in alpine situations in the Pioneer, Sawtooth, Smoky, and White Cloud mountains of central Idaho; the Madison Range of western Montana; the Jarbidge Range of northeastern Nevada; the Blue, Steens, and Wallowa mountains of eastern Oregon; and the Teton Range of northwestern Wyoming. The elongate caudices are easily covered by moving soil and talus. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
||||
Key |
|
|||||
Source | FNA vol. 9, p. 171. | FNA vol. 9, p. 188. | ||||
Parent taxa | Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Multijugae | Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Brevifoliae | ||||
Sibling taxa | ||||||
Subordinate taxa | ||||||
Synonyms | P. diversifolia var. pinnatisecta, P. pinnatisecta, P. plattensis var. pinnatisecta | |||||
Name authority | J. M. Macoun: Canad. Rec. Sci. 6: 464. (1896) | Nuttall: in J. Torrey and A. Gray, Fl. N. Amer. 1: 442. (1840) | ||||
Web links |