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sheep cinquefoil

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

stout, sometimes ± 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, (0.2–)0.4–1.6(–2) dm, lengths 2–3 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.

1–6(–11) cm;

petiole 0.5–4(–9) cm, long hairs ± abundant, ascending to spreading, sometimes loosely appressed, 1–2.5 mm, soft to weak, smooth, crisped(/cottony) hairs absent or sparse, sometimes common, glands absent or sparse;

leaflets overlapping, central broadly obovate, 0.8–2(–2.5) × 0.8–1.5(–2.5) cm, sessile or subsessile, base broadly cuneate, margins strongly revolute, distal 1/2–2/3 incised ± 1/2 to midvein, teeth 2–3(–4) per side, distant, surfaces strongly dissimilar, abaxial grayish white, long hairs 1–2 mm, cottony-crisped hairs ± dense, adaxial usually dark green, sometimes grayish green, long hairs sparse to abundant, other hairs usually absent.

Cauline leaves

1–2.

(0–)1–2(–3).

Inflorescences

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

1–2(–5)-flowered.

Pedicels

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

1–2 cm in flower, to 5 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 ± oblong to ovate, 4–8(–10) × 1.8–3(–5) mm, 2/3 to as wide as sepals, margins revolute, sometimes flat, red glands absent;

hypanthium 3.5–4.5 mm diam.;

sepals 5–8 mm, apex ± acute;

petals 7–9 × 7–10 mm, longer than sepals;

filaments 0.8–1 mm, anthers 0.6–0.7 mm;

carpels 20–30, apical hairs sparse to abundant (straight), styles conic-columnar, ± papillate-swollen in less than proximal 1/5, or sometimes to 1/5, 0.8–1.1 mm.

Achenes

1.5–2 mm, smooth, not carunculate.

0.9–1.2 mm.

2n

= 28 (Russian Far East).

Potentilla ovina

Potentilla vulcanicola

Phenology Flowering late spring to summer.
Habitat Dry alpine heaths, ridge crests, rock outcrops, herb slopes, scree and talus, stabilized sand dunes, mainly on calcareous bedrock
Elevation 0–3100 m (0–10200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WY; AB; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; NT; NU; 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 vulcanicola is close morphologically to P. uniflora in the narrow sense and largely replaces it in southern and eastern Chukotka, Alaska, and northwestern Canada, where it reaches east of Mackenzie River on the coastal mainland and the westernmost islands (Banks and Victoria islands). Potentilla subgorodkovii and P. vulcanicola account for a major part of North American records of P. uniflora.

(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. 203.
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. 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. 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. wheeleri
Subordinate taxa
P. ovina var. decurrens, P. ovina var. ovina
Synonyms P. diversifolia var. pinnatisecta, P. pinnatisecta, P. plattensis var. pinnatisecta
Name authority J. M. Macoun: Canad. Rec. Sci. 6: 464. (1896) Juzepczuk: Bot. Mater. Gerb. Bot. Inst. Komarova Akad. Nauk SSSR 17: 222. (1955)
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