Potentilla sect. Terminales
Potentilla inclinata
ashy cinquefoil, potentille inclinée
decumbent to erect, not flagelliform, not rooting at nodes, from centers of ephemeral basal rosettes, 1–6 dm, lengths (2–)3–5(–10) times basal or proximal cauline leaves.
ascending to erect, (1–)1.5–5 dm.
basal not in ranks;
cauline 2–9;
primary leaves usually palmate, sometimes ternate, proximal ones 2–14 cm;
petiole: long hairs loosely appressed to spreading, soft to weak, glands absent or sparse to common;
leaflets 5–7, at tip of leaf axis, ± overlapping or not, oblanceolate to obovate, margins flat or revolute, distal 1/2–3/4+ evenly to unevenly incised 1/3–3/4+ to midvein, teeth 2–10 per side, surfaces similar to strongly dissimilar, abaxial green to white, cottony and/or crisped hairs absent or sparse to dense, adaxial green, not glaucous, long hairs weak to stiff.
palmate.
3–9, proximal ones 5–10(–14) cm;
proximal petioles 2–6(–8) cm, long hairs sparse to common, spreading to loosely appressed, 1.5–3 mm, soft to weak, short or crisped hairs abundant, cottony hairs mostly absent, glands sparse to common, usually obscured;
leaflets 5–7, central one usually ± oblanceolate, (1.5–)2–5 × 0.5–1.5 cm, margins flat or ± revolute, distal (1/2–)3/4+ usually evenly incised 1/2 to midvein, teeth 4–6(–10) per side, surfaces ± dissimilar, abaxial grayish to gray-green, long hairs sparse to common (especially on veins), 1–2.5 mm, soft to weak, short or crisped hairs ± abundant, sometimes sparse, cottony hairs absent, glands ± sparse (usually obscured), adaxial long hairs usually sparse, sometimes absent, 1–2 mm, short hairs absent or sparse, crisped and cottony hairs absent, glands absent or sparse.
10–100+-flowered, cymose, ± open.
10–50+-flowered.
usually straight in fruit, 0.3–1.5(–3) cm, proximal ± longer than distal.
0.3–1.5(–3) cm.
5-merous;
hypanthium 2–5 mm diam.;
petals yellow, obovate to cuneate-obcordate, (2–)2.5–7(–8) mm, slightly shorter to ± longer than sepals, apex rounded to truncate or retuse;
stamens ca. 20;
styles subapical, columnar-tapered, scarcely to strongly papillate-swollen in proximal 1/5–1/2, 0.6–1.2 mm.
epicalyx bractlets lanceolate or elliptic to oblong, 3–6 × 1–1.5 mm, length ± 1 times sepals;
sepals 3.5–6.5 mm, apex acute to acuminate;
petals 4–7(–8) × 4–5(–6) mm;
filaments 0.8–2.5 mm, anthers (0.5–)0.8–1.2 mm;
carpels 80–100+, styles 0.8–1.1 mm, scarcely papillate-swollen proximally.
smooth to rugose.
1 mm, lightly rugose.
= 14, 28, 35, 42, 84 (Eurasia).
Potentilla sect. Terminales
Potentilla inclinata
Species 20–30 (3 in the flora).
As summarized by A. Kurtto et al. (in J. Jalas et al. 1972+, vol. 13), the species comprising sect. Terminales (including sect. Argenteae) consist of both sexual and apomictic populations of various ploidy levels that can be subdivided into more or less consistent species. The three species adventive in North America are relatively distinct, representing only a subset of European variation. Collections of Potentilla inclinata and P. intermedia are sometimes confused; the former often has petals smaller than the European average, and anthers are often intermediate in size. The distribution of the two species in North America may need adjusting from what is presented here.
Another species complex, the Potentilla collina Wibel group (as addressed by A. Kurtto et al. in J. Jalas et al. 1972+, vol. 13), may be present in North America, at least as an occasional waif. The specimens underlying the citation of this species by P. A. Rydberg (1898, 1908d) are here identified as P. argentea (New York) and P. inclinata (Minnesota); however, variation of traits distinguishing members of sect. Terminales can be subtle and difficult to interpret out of their European context.
Potentilla intermedia is considered to be of hybrid origin involving P. argentea and P. norvegica; it appears to reproduce by both sexual and apomictic means. Some authors consider P. inclinata to be the hybrid derivative of P. argentea and P. recta (A. Kurtto et al. in J. Jalas et al. 1972+, vol. 13). The P. collina group is likewise thought to have a hybrid origin, involving members of sections Aureae and Terminales. Placement of these species in sect. Terminales is made on the basis of key morphologic characters.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
In addition to the characters given in the key, Potentilla inclinata in the flora area tends to have narrower leaflets, more compact inflorescences with fewer flowers, and more coarsely hairy epicalyx bractlets and sepals than P. intermedia. The species is currently becoming more common in western North America.
The name Potentilla inclinata has been conserved over P. assurgens Villars (T. Gregor et al. 2009).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Leaflet surfaces strongly dissimilar, abaxial white, cottony hairs dense, distal 1/2–2/3 of margin incised 1/2–3/4+ to midvein, teeth 2–3 per side (more if lobed or secondarily toothed). | P. argentea |
1. Leaflet surfaces similar or ± dissimilar, abaxial green, grayish, or gray-green, cottony hairs absent, distal (1/2–)3/4+ of margin incised 1/3–2/3 to midvein, teeth 4–10 per side | → 2 |
2. Anthers (0.5–)0.8–1.2 mm; petals 4–7(–8) mm; leaflets grayish to gray-green abaxially, short or crisped hairs usually ± abundant, sometimes sparse, margins usually evenly incised; epicalyx bractlets: lengths ± 1 times sepals. | P. inclinata |
2. Anthers 0.3–0.5 mm; petals 3–5 mm; leaflets green to grayish green abaxially, short or crisped hairs ± sparse, margins usually unevenly, sometimes evenly, incised (often with 1–2 incisions nearly to midvein); epicalyx bractlets: lengths usually 2/3, sometimes 1, times sepals. | P. intermedia |
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