Flora of North America species comparison

absent or inconspicuous, uncolored.

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.

mostly ± ascending, 0.5–3(–4.5) dm.

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.

often 2-ranked, palmate, sometimes subpalmate, 2–20 cm;

petiole (0.5–)1–8(–14) cm, long hairs often absent, sometimes sparse to abundant, usually appressed, 1–2 mm, weak to ± stiff, short, crisped, and cottony hairs absent, glands absent or sparse;

leaflets 5–6(–7), sometimes with 1–2(–4) additional, smaller, entire leaflets, on tip or to distal 1/10(–1/4) of leaf axis, separate, largest ones oblanceolate or cuneate to obovate, 1–4(–6) × 0.5–1.5(–2) cm, margins flat, distal 1/3–1/2(–2/3) ± evenly incised 1/2 or nearly to midvein, undivided medial blade 1.5–7(–10) mm wide, teeth 1–3(–5) per side, broadly lanceolate or linear to narrowly oblong, 1–5(–8) mm, surfaces similar adaxial ± less hairy, ± blue-green, usually glaucous, long hairs sparse to abundant (often restricted to veins, distal teeth, and margins), short, crisped, and cottony hairs absent, glands absent or sparse.

(0–)1–2(–3).

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

2–10(–20)-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).

(0.5–)1–3(–6.5) cm.

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 lanceolate to elliptic, 2–5 × 0.8–1.2(–1.6) mm, hairs sparse to common, rarely abundant, ± ascending, glands absent or inconspicuous;

hypanthium 3.5–5 mm diam.;

sepals (2–)2.5–4.5(–5) mm, apex acute to short acuminate;

petals (4–)5–10(–12) × 4–9(–10) mm;

filaments 1.5–2.5(–3) mm, anthers 0.4–0.7(–0.9) mm;

carpels 25–40, styles filiform above papillate-swollen base, 1.5–2.5(–3) mm.

± smooth.

1.2–1.6 mm.