Potentilla simplex |
Potentilla versicolor |
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common cinquefoil, old-field cinquefoil, old-field five-fingers, potentille simple, simple cinquefoil |
Steens Mountain cinquefoil, varying cinquefoil |
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Habit | Plants rosetted to ± matted; taproots ± fleshy-thickened. | |
Stems | initially erect to ascending to 5 dm, then arching above ground-level, becoming prostrate, flagelliform, not branched, rooting at distal nodes, (0.5–)1.5–12 dm. |
prostrate to ascending, (0.7–)1.5–2.5(–4) dm, lengths 2–4(–5) times basal leaves. |
Basal leaves | persistent or ephemeral, usually palmate, 3.5–20 cm; petiole 1–15 cm, long hairs ± abundant, appressed to spreading, (0.5–)1–3 mm, weak to ± stiff, glands absent or sparse, sometimes common; leaflets 5(–7), central narrowly elliptic to obovate, 1.5–5 × 0.5–2.5 cm, distal 1/2–3/4 of margin incised 1/4–1/3 to midvein, teeth 4–8(–13) per side, surfaces similar to ± dissimilar, abaxial green to silvery white, sparsely to abundantly hairy, adaxial green, glabrate or sparsely to moderately hairy. |
pinnate with distal leaflets ± confluent, 4–12 × 1–2.5(–3.5) cm; petiole 1–3 cm, straight hairs absent (on early-season petioles) or sparse to common, spreading-ascending to loosely appressed, 1–2 mm, soft, cottony hairs usually absent, glands sparse; primary lateral leaflets 3–5 per side, on distal (1/3–)1/2–2/3 of leaf axis, overlapping, largest ones cuneate to flabellate, 0.5–1.5(–2) × 0.5–1.5 cm, distal 3/4 to whole margin unevenly incised 2/3 to completely to midvein (blade often medially split as well), ultimate teeth or segments 2–5(–8), ± oblanceolate, 3–11 × 1–3 mm, apical tufts to 1 mm, surfaces green to grayish green, not glaucous, straight hairs sparse to common (sparser adaxially), sometimes absent (except on margins), loosely appressed to ascending, 1–2 mm, soft, cottony hairs absent, glands sparse to common. |
Cauline leaves | (0–)1 proximal to 1st flowering node, well expanded at anthesis, usually palmate, 2.5–6(–9) cm; petiole 0–2(–4) cm; leaflets (3–)5, often more elongate than those of basal leaves, ± elliptic to oblanceolate, sometimes obovate, 1.5–6(–7.5) × 0.5–2(–3) cm, apex acute to obtuse. |
1–2(–3). |
Inflorescences | solitary flowers at stolon nodes. |
(1–)3–10-flowered, usually openly cymose. |
Pedicels | 1–5(–8.5) cm. |
1–3(–5) cm, straight to slightly recurved in fruit. |
Flowers | 5(–6)-merous; epicalyx bractlets linear to narrowly lanceolate, 2–5 × 1–1.5(–2) mm, often larger than sepals (especially in bud); hypanthium 3–5 mm diam.; sepals 4–6 mm, apex broadly acute; petals 4–7 × 3–6 mm, apex rounded to ± retuse; stamens ca. 20, filaments 0.5–2 mm, anthers 0.6–1 mm; carpels 20–50, styles 0.8–1.5 mm. |
epicalyx bractlets lanceolate to elliptic, rarely ovate, 2–5 × 1–2 mm, sometimes apically toothed; hypanthium 3–5 mm diam.; sepals 4–7 mm, apex acute; petals 4–7 × 3–5.5 mm; filaments (1–)1.5–2.5 mm, anthers 0.5–0.8 mm; carpels 10–25, styles 2 mm. |
Achenes | 0.9–1.2 mm, faintly rugose. |
1.5–1.8 mm, smooth to faintly rugose, not carunculate. |
Rootstocks | horizontal, irregularly thickened or moniliform, 1–8 cm. |
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Potentilla simplex |
Potentilla versicolor |
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Phenology | Flowering (Mar–)Apr–Jul(–Aug). | Flowering summer. |
Habitat | Dry or infrequently moist flats and slopes in pastures, dry meadows, roadsides, old fields, edges of mixed oak and conifer woodlands, often on acidic soil | Rocky, alpine meadows, seasonally moist slopes, near streams or snowmelt |
Elevation | 0–800 m (0–2600 ft) | 2100–3200 m (6900–10500 ft) |
Distribution |
AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; TN; TX; VA; VT; WI; WV; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC; SPM
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NV; OR
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Discussion | The distinction between Potentilla simplex and P. canadensis is subtle, and the former is often misidentified as the latter; additional features to distinguish the two species are provided by M. L. Fernald (1931). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Potentilla versicolor is most common on Steens Mountain in Harney County, Oregon. Collections are known from other mountain ranges in eastern Oregon (some possibly representing distinct taxa) and from near Island Lake in the Ruby Mountains of northeastern Nevada. The species often grows and, apparently, intergrades with P. breweri; it is usually distinct in its lack of cottony hairs. Petals, filaments, and styles tend to be somewhat shorter in P. versicolor than in P. breweri. Collections of P. versicolor have most often been identified as P. breweri, P. millefolia, or P. ovina. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 9, p. 134. | FNA vol. 9, p. 171. |
Parent taxa | Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Potentilla | Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Multijugae |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | P. canadensis var. simplex, P. simplex var. argyrisma, P. simplex var. calvescens | |
Name authority | Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 303. (1803) | Rydberg: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 344. (1908) |
Web links |