Potentilla versicolor
Potentilla bruceae
Steens Mountain cinquefoil, varying cinquefoil
Bruce's cinquefoil
absent or inconspicuous, uncolored.
prostrate to ascending, (0.7–)1.5–2.5(–4) dm, lengths 2–4(–5) times basal leaves.
ascending to nearly erect, (1–)2–5(–6) dm.
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.
not in ranks, ± subpalmate to subpinnate (proximal leaflets sometimes doubled, distal leaflets confluent and/or decurrent), (2–)5–20(–28) cm;
petiole (1–)3–15(–20) cm, long hairs abundant, appressed to ascending-spreading, 1–2.5 mm, weak often flattened and twisted, sometimes grading to crisped or cottony hairs, short hairs absent, glands absent or sparse;
leaflets 5–7, on distal 1/10–1/4 of leaf axis, ± overlapping, largest ones usually ± obovate, (1–)1.5–5(–6) × 1–3.5(–4) cm, margins flat, distal 2/3–3/4 evenly to unevenly incised ± 1/2 to midvein (often with additional incisions nearly to midvein), undivided medial blade 4–20 mm wide, teeth (2–)3–6(–8) per side (sometimes secondarily toothed), ± lanceolate, 4–11 mm, surfaces ± similar, abaxial ± lighter and hairier, gray-green to grayish, rarely green, not glaucous, long hairs ± abundant, short-crisped hairs absent or sparse to common, cottony hairs usually absent, glands absent or sparse.
1–2(–3).
1–2.
(1–)3–10-flowered, usually openly cymose.
5–50-flowered.
1–3(–5) cm, straight to slightly recurved in fruit.
0.5–3(–4) cm.
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.
epicalyx bractlets broadly lanceolate to elliptic, 3–6(–7.5) × 1.5–2.5(–3) mm, hairs ± common to abundant, loosely appressed to ascending, glands absent or inconspicuous;
hypanthium 3.5–5.5 mm diam.;
sepals 5–10 mm, apex acute to acuminate;
petals 5–10 × 5–10 mm;
filaments 1–2.5 mm, anthers 0.7–1.2 mm;
carpels 15–30, styles filiform-tapered, papillate-swollen proximally, 2–3 mm.
1.5–1.8 mm, smooth to faintly rugose, not carunculate.
1.4–1.6 mm.
= 63–73, 79, 87, 98, 129.
Potentilla versicolor
Potentilla bruceae
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.)
As redefined by B. Ertter and D. Mansfield (2007), Potentilla bruceae is characterized by irregularly subpalmate, weakly villose leaves. Such plants form relatively consistent and extensive populations in dry meadows centered near Lake Tahoe in California and Nevada, extending to the central Sierra Nevada and to the Warner Mountains in Oregon. This interpretation differs from that previously suggested by Ertter (1992), in which P. bruceae was interpreted as the catchall category for hybrids between P. breweri (sect. Multijugae) and P. drummondii. All three taxa were accordingly treated as varieties of P. drummondii. D. D. Keck (in J. Clausen et al. 1940) treated P. bruceae as a subspecies of P. drummondii; B. C. Johnston (1980) concluded that its placement as a variety of P. breweri was more justified. The three entities unquestionably intergrade (with the type of P. anomalofolia M. Peck possibly one result), but not beyond what is the norm for facultatively apomictic species of Potentilla.
Chromosome numbers reported by J. Clausen et al. (1940) require verification as this species; the irregular behavior observed in meiotic material suggests that at least some of the individuals were hybrids.
See discussion of 29. Potentilla drummondii regarding leaflet dissection and the inclusion of P. bruceae in sect. Graciles.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
OR
CalFlora
Flora NW
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
