Potentilla ovina |
Potentilla gracilis |
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sheep cinquefoil |
graceful cinquefoil, northwest cinquefoil, potentille grêle, slender cinquefoil |
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Habit | Plants rosetted to ± matted; taproots sometimes ± fleshy-thickened. | |||||||||||||||||||||
Glands | usually absent or inconspicuous, uncolored. |
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Stems | prostrate to ascending, (0.3–)0.8–2(–3.5) dm, lengths (1–)1.5–3 times basal leaves. |
ascending to erect, (0.5–)2–7(–12) dm. |
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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. |
usually not in ranks, palmate, rarely subpalmate, 4–40(–55) cm; petiole (2–)3–25(–45) cm, long hairs sparse to dense, appressed to spreading, 0.5–2(–3) mm, weak to stiff, short hairs absent, crisped hairs usually absent, cottony hairs absent or sparse to abundant (var. owyheensis), glands absent or sparse; leaflets 5–9, on tip, rarely less than distal 1/10, of leaf axis, separate to overlapping, largest ones oblanceolate to elliptic or obovate, (1.5–)2–9(–11) × (0.7–)1.5–4 cm, margins flat to revolute, distal (2/3–)3/4 to nearly whole length evenly to unevenly incised 1/4–3/4+ to midvein, undivided medial blade 2–20 mm wide, teeth (4–)6–10(–11) per side (sometimes secondarily toothed), linear to broadly lanceolate, 2–20(–35) mm, surfaces ± similar to strongly dissimilar, abaxial green or pale green to white, usually not glaucous, long hairs sparse to abundant (sometimes mostly on veins), short-crisped hairs absent or sparse to abundant, cottony hairs absent or sparse to dense, glands usually absent or obscured to sparse, sometimes common, adaxial dark green to grayish, long hairs sparse to ± abundant, rarely absent or dense, short-crisped hairs absent or sparse, cottony hairs absent or sparse to abundant (var. owyheensis), glands usually absent or sparse to sometimes common. |
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Cauline leaves | 1–2. |
1–4(–5). |
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Inflorescences | (1–)2–11(–20)-flowered, usually openly cymose. |
(4–)10–50(–60)-flowered. |
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Pedicels | (0.8–)1–2(–4) cm, straight to ± recurved in fruit. |
0.3–3 cm. |
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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 lanceolate or elliptic, 2–6(–8) × 0.5–1.5(–2.5) mm, hairs sparse to abundant, rarely dense, ± appressed to ascending, rarely spreading, glands usually absent or inconspicuous; hypanthium 3.5–6 mm diam.; sepals 4–8(–10) mm, apex acute to long acuminate; petals (3–)4–10(–11) × (3–)4–10(–12) mm; filaments (1–)1.5–2.5(–3.5) mm, anthers 0.6–1.2(–1.6) mm; carpels (15–)20–50, styles ± tapered, papillate-swollen proximally, (1–)1.5–2.5(–3) mm. |
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Achenes | 1.5–2 mm, smooth, not carunculate. |
1–1.8 mm. |
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Potentilla ovina |
Potentilla gracilis |
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Distribution |
CO; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WY; AB; BC
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AK; AZ; CA; CO; ID; MI; MN; MT; ND; NV; OR; SD; UT; WA; WI; WY; AB; BC; MB; NT; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT
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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.) |
Varieties 5 (5 in the flora). Because variation within Potentilla gracilis and other members of sect. Graciles is still far from resolved, taxonomic recognition is given to only the most distinctive extremes and that mostly at the varietal level. The goal is to call attention to areas that need study rather than to provide a full resolution, and even this leaves out some large, widespread populations in both keys and descriptions. The taxonomic placement of some available names, such as P. glomerata A. Nelson, P. longipedunculata Rydberg, and P. macropetala Rydberg, likewise remains unresolved. The vouchers for the report by M. L. Fernald (1950) of Potentilla gracilis and P. pulcherrima from New Hampshire are presumably specimens collected in Coos County by A. S. Pease (NEBC). The three collections differ from one another, corresponding most closely to var. fastigiata, var. flabelliformis, and P. pulcherrima. The presence of such diversity in the same meadow, all as disjunct occurrences, suggests an artificial, non-persisting introduction. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Key |
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Source | FNA vol. 9, p. 171. | FNA vol. 9, p. 153. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Parent taxa | Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Multijugae | Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Graciles | ||||||||||||||||||||
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) | Douglas ex Hooker: Bot. Mag. 57: plate 2984. (1830) | ||||||||||||||||||||
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