Flora of North America species comparison

usually ascending to erect, sometimes prostrate to decumbent or spreading, not flagelliform, not rooting at nodes (except P. verna), lateral to persistent basal rosettes, 0.1–2(–3) dm, lengths 1–3(–4) times basal leaves.

ascending to erect, 0.3–2 dm, lengths 2–3 times basal leaves.

basal sometimes 2-ranked;

cauline 0–2(–3);

primary leaves ternate or palmate, (0.5–)1–12(–20) cm;

petiole: long hairs absent or spreading to ascending, weak to ± stiff, glands usually absent or sparse, sometimes abundant;

leaflets 3–7, at tip of leaf axis, overlapping or not, broadly oblanceolate or obtriangular to flabellate, margins flat to revolute, distal 1/4–3/4+ evenly to unevenly incised 1/4–1/2 to midvein, sometimes 3–5-lobed 1/2–3/4 to midvein as well, primary teeth (1–)2–5(–7) per side or per lobe, surfaces ± similar, abaxial pale to dark green, rarely grayish, brownish, or reddish, cottony hairs absent, adaxial green to dark green, rarely brownish or reddish, sometimes ± glaucous (P. grayi), long hairs (if present) soft to weak, sometimes stiff.

not in ranks, ternate, 1–5(–9) cm;

stipules: apex acute to obtuse;

petiole 1–4 cm, long hairs absent or sparse to common, spreading to ascending, 0.5–2 mm, ± weak, glands sparse to abundant;

leaflets 3, central flabellate, 0.4–2 × 0.5–1.5 cm, petiolule 1–3 mm, margins flat, distal 3/4+ deeply 3–5-lobed (sinuses extending 1/2 to nearly to midvein), lobes unevenly incised 1/4–1/2 to midvein, teeth 2–5 per lobe, surfaces similar, dark green, hairs ± sparse, 0.5–1.5 mm, glands sparse to abundant.

1–6(–12)-flowered, ± cymose, ± to very open, or solitary flowers.

1–7-flowered.

usually straight in fruit (often recurved in P. verna), (0–)0.2–3(–9) cm, proximal usually not much longer than distal (sometimes longer in fruit).

straight, 0.2–1.2(–2) cm, not much longer in fruit than in flower.

5-merous;

hypanthium 2–7 mm diam.;

petals pale to dark yellow, mostly ± obcordate (to orbiculate in P. elegans), (2–)3–10(–12) mm, usually longer than sepals, apex usually ± retuse;

stamens ca. 20;

styles subapical, columnar, filiform, or tapered, not, scarcely, or ± papillate-swollen in proximal 1/5–1/2, 0.8–2.5 mm.

epicalyx bractlets broadly ovate, 2–4 × 2 mm, margins flat;

hypanthium 3.5–6 mm diam.;

sepals 3–5 mm, apex broadly acute to obtuse;

petals yellow, 3–5.5 × 4–5 mm;

filaments 0.7–1.7 mm, anthers 0.5–0.6 mm;

carpels 25–40, styles tapered-filiform, ± papillate-swollen in proximal 1/5–/1/3, 1.3–2 mm.

± smooth.

1–1.5 mm, dorsally crested.

= 42.