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Mogollon cinquefoil, Navajo cinquefoil

Potentilla versicolor

Steens Mountain cinquefoil, varying cinquefoil

Habit Plants rosetted to ± matted; taproots ± fleshy-thickened.
Stems

0.2–1.5(–2) dm.

prostrate to ascending, (0.7–)1.5–2.5(–4) dm, lengths 2–4(–5) times basal leaves.

Basal leaves

palmate, rarely ternate, (1–)2–7(–18) cm;

petiole (0.5–)1–5(–11) cm, long hairs sparse to abundant, ± spreading (to ascending), 1–3(–4) mm, ± weak, glands ± abundant;

leaflets (3–)5(–7), central flabellate to obovate-cuneate or oblanceolate, (0.5–)1–3(–8) × 0.5–2 cm, not or ± petiolulate, distal 2/3–3/4 of margins evenly to unevenly incised 1/5–3/4 to midvein, sometimes deeply lobed as well, teeth 2–9 per side (some secondarily toothed as well), surfaces green, long hairs sparse to common, 1–2 mm (late-season leaves and adaxial surfaces sometimes nearly glabrate), glands sparse to abundant.

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

1–2(–3).

Inflorescences

(1–)3–15-flowered.

(1–)3–10-flowered, usually openly cymose.

Pedicels

0.5–1.5(–2) cm.

1–3(–5) cm, straight to slightly recurved in fruit.

Flowers

epicalyx bractlets lanceolate-elliptic, 1.5–3(–5) × 0.5–1.5 mm;

hypanthium 2.5–4 mm diam.;

sepals (2.5–)3–5(–6) mm, apex ± acute;

petals nearly white abaxially, pale yellow adaxially, narrowly obcordate, 3–6(–8) × 2.5–5 mm;

filaments 1.5–2.5 mm, anthers 0.5–1 mm;

carpels 4–12, styles 2–3 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

1.5–2 mm, ± rugose.

1.5–1.8 mm, smooth to faintly rugose, not carunculate.

Short

hairs well differentiated from long hairs, ± abundant to dense throughout.

Potentilla subviscosa

Potentilla versicolor

Phenology Flowering summer.
Habitat Rocky, alpine meadows, seasonally moist slopes, near streams or snowmelt
Elevation 2100–3200 m (6900–10500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CO; NM
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NV; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

(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.)

Key
1. Leaves often notably seasonally dimorphic; leaflets: early-season evenly to unevenly incised 1/2–3/4 to midvein (sometimes deeply lobed as well), teeth 3–7 per side (sometimes secondarily toothed); late-season evenly incised 1/5–1/4 to midvein, teeth 6–9 per side; petioles: long hairs 1–1.5(–3) mm; n Arizona and New Mexico, barely entering Colorado.
var. subviscosa
1. Leaves not notably seasonally dimorphic; leaflets ± evenly incised 1/4–1/2 to midvein, teeth 2–4(–6 in late-season) per side; petioles: long hairs 2–3(–4) mm; Santa Catalina and Rincon mountains and Sierra Ancha, se Arizona.
var. ramulosa
Source FNA vol. 9, p. 184. FNA vol. 9, p. 171.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Subviscosae Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Multijugae
Sibling taxa
P. albiflora, P. ambigens, P. anachoretica, P. angelliae, P. anglica, P. anserina, P. arenosa, P. argentea, P. arizonica, P. basaltica, P. bicrenata, P. biennis, P. biflora, P. bimundorum, P. bipinnatifida, P. brevifolia, P. breweri, P. bruceae, P. brunnescens, P. canadensis, P. concinna, P. cottamii, P. crantzii, P. crebridens, P. crinita, P. cristae, P. demotica, P. drummondii, P. effusa, P. elegans, P. erecta, P. flabellifolia, P. fragiformis, P. furcata, P. glaucophylla, P. gracilis, P. grayi, P. hickmanii, P. hippiana, P. holmgrenii, P. hookeriana, P. hyparctica, P. inclinata, P. intermedia, P. jepsonii, P. johnstonii, P. lasiodonta, P. litoralis, P. macounii, P. millefolia, P. modesta, P. morefieldii, P. multijuga, P. multisecta, P. nana, P. newberryi, P. nivea, P. norvegica, P. ovina, P. paucijuga, P. pedersenii, P. pensylvanica, P. plattensis, P. pseudosericea, P. pulchella, P. pulcherrima, P. recta, P. reptans, P. rhyolitica, P. rimicola, P. rivalis, P. robbinsiana, P. rubella, P. rubricaulis, P. sanguinea, P. saximontana, P. sierrae-blancae, P. simplex, P. sterilis, P. stipularis, P. subgorodkovii, P. subjuga, P. subvahliana, P. supina, P. thurberi, P. thuringiaca, P. tikhomirovii, P. townsendii, P. uliginosa, P. uschakovii, P. vahliana, P. verna, P. versicolor, P. villosa, P. villosula, P. vulcanicola, P. wheeleri
P. albiflora, P. ambigens, P. anachoretica, P. angelliae, P. anglica, P. anserina, P. arenosa, P. argentea, P. arizonica, P. basaltica, P. bicrenata, P. biennis, P. biflora, P. bimundorum, P. bipinnatifida, P. brevifolia, P. breweri, P. bruceae, P. brunnescens, P. canadensis, P. concinna, P. cottamii, P. crantzii, P. crebridens, P. crinita, P. cristae, P. demotica, P. drummondii, P. effusa, P. elegans, P. erecta, P. flabellifolia, P. fragiformis, P. furcata, P. glaucophylla, P. gracilis, P. grayi, P. hickmanii, P. hippiana, P. holmgrenii, P. hookeriana, P. hyparctica, P. inclinata, P. intermedia, P. jepsonii, P. johnstonii, P. lasiodonta, P. litoralis, P. macounii, P. millefolia, P. modesta, P. morefieldii, P. multijuga, P. multisecta, P. nana, P. newberryi, P. nivea, P. norvegica, P. ovina, P. paucijuga, P. pedersenii, P. pensylvanica, P. plattensis, P. pseudosericea, P. pulchella, P. pulcherrima, P. recta, P. reptans, P. rhyolitica, P. rimicola, P. rivalis, P. robbinsiana, P. rubella, P. rubricaulis, P. sanguinea, P. saximontana, P. sierrae-blancae, P. simplex, P. sterilis, P. stipularis, P. subgorodkovii, P. subjuga, P. subvahliana, P. subviscosa, P. supina, P. thurberi, P. thuringiaca, P. tikhomirovii, P. townsendii, P. uliginosa, P. uschakovii, P. vahliana, P. verna, P. villosa, P. villosula, P. vulcanicola, P. wheeleri
Subordinate taxa
P. subviscosa var. ramulosa, P. subviscosa var. subviscosa
Name authority Greene: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 8: 97. (1881) Rydberg: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 344. (1908)
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