Potentilla subjuga
Potentilla fragiformis
Colorado cinquefoil
strawberry cinquefoil
(0.8–)1–2.5(–3.5) dm.
ascending to erect, 0.3–1.5(–2) dm, lengths 1–2 times basal leaves.
usually palmate with additional lateral leaflets, sometimes pinnate, 3–10(–14) cm;
petiole 1.5–5 cm, vestiture seasonally dimorphic, long hairs abundant, spreading on first-formed leaves, tightly appressed to ascending on later-formed leaves, 1–2 mm, ± stiff (especially on later-formed leaves), cottony and crisped hairs usually absent, glands absent or sparse;
leaflets (3–)5 at tip of leaf axis plus 1(–2) additional pair(s) separated from tip by 3–20 mm, on distal 1/10–1/3(–1/2) of leaf axis, largest leaflets oblanceolate-oblong, (0.5–)1.5–2.5(–3) × 0.3–1 cm, ± whole margin incised 1/2–2/3(–3/4) to midvein, teeth (2–)4–9 per side, usually touching to strongly overlapping, sometimes separate, 2–6 mm, surfaces usually strongly dissimilar (less so on first-formed leaves), abaxial usually white, straight hairs ± abundant (mostly on veins), 1–2 mm, cottony or crisped/cottony hairs ± dense (sparser on first-formed leaves), glands absent or obscured, adaxial green (to grayish), straight hairs sparse to common, 0.5–1.5 mm, cottony and crisped hairs absent, glands sparse.
not in ranks, ternate, (1–)4–10(–15) cm;
stipules: apex acute to obtuse;
petiole (0.3–)2–11(–13) cm, long hairs abundant, ascending to spreading, 1–2.3 mm, soft, glands sparse to common;
leaflets 3, central obovate, 0.7–2.5 × 0.5–1.6 cm, petiolule 0–1 mm, margins revolute, not lobed, distal 1/2–2/3 evenly incised ± 1/3 to midvein, teeth 2–3(–4) per side, surfaces ± similar, green (paler abaxially), hairs common, 1–1.5 mm, glands common (sparser adaxially).
1–3.
3–20(–30)-flowered.
1–3-flowered.
0.5–2 cm (proximal to 3 cm).
straight, 0.5–2 cm in flower, to 3.5 cm in fruit.
epicalyx bractlets narrowly to broadly lanceolate, 2–5(–6) × 1–1.5 mm;
sepals 4–7 mm, apex acute to acuminate;
petals 4–8 × 4–8 mm;
filaments (0.5–)1–2 mm, anthers 0.3–0.8 mm;
carpels 15–30, styles filiform to filiform-tapered, ± papillate-swollen in less than proximal 1/5, 1.5–2 mm.
epicalyx bractlets oblong, 3–7 × 1.2–2.5 mm, margins revolute;
hypanthium 4–6 mm diam.;
sepals 4–6(–7) mm, apex broadly acute to obtuse;
petals yellow, 9–12 × 8–10 mm;
filaments (2–)2.8–3.2 mm, anthers 0.5–0.8 mm;
carpels 40–50, styles filiform, not or scarcely papillate-swollen proximally, 1.7–2 mm.
1.2–1.6 mm.
1.3–1.5.
= 42, 56 (Russian Far East).
Potentilla subjuga
Potentilla fragiformis
Potentilla subjuga is centered in the high mountains of Colorado and barely enters New Mexico in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Collections from Alberta also apparently belong to this species, but all known collections from Wyoming have been identified as different taxa, at least one currently undescribed. At its most distinctive, P. subjuga is easily recognized by its unique leaf division, with five palmate leaflets subtended by an additional pair (or two) of lateral leaflets. Southern populations, however, are more likely to have only three apical leaflets. The leaflets tend to be strongly bicolored with overlapping teeth, in contrast to most sympatric pinnate species. Petiole vestiture is also distinctive in being seasonally dimorphic, with long hairs on first-formed leaves spreading to ascending and those on later formed leaves tightly appressed, as well as more conspicuously verrucose. Unresolved infraspecific variation exists, and field observations suggest that P. subjuga readily hybridizes with sympatric species, creating a swarm of intermediate specimens.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Recent collections of Potentilla fragiformis in Alaska on the coast of the Bering and Chukchi seas have confirmed historical reports (P. A. Rydberg 1908d) of this Beringian species in North America. Dwarf plants from St. Lawrence Island are somewhat intermediate to P. nana but have the larger petals and longer styles of P. fragiformis.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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