Potentilla versicolor
Potentilla holmgrenii
Steens Mountain cinquefoil, varying cinquefoil
Holmgren's cinquefoil
stout, columnar, at least partly sheathed with marcescent whole leaves.
prostrate to ascending, (0.7–)1.5–2.5(–4) dm, lengths 2–4(–5) times basal leaves.
ascending, 0.2–0.8 dm, lengths 1.5–2.5 times basal leaves.
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.
1.5–4 cm;
petiole 0.5–2 cm, long hairs absent or sparse to common (less so than cottony hairs), ± appressed, 1–2 mm, soft, smooth, cottony hairs dense, other hairs and glands absent, sparse, or obscured;
leaflets touching to overlapping, central broadly elliptic to obovate, 0.7–1.1 × 0.5–0.6 cm, sessile or short-petiolulate, petiolule to 1 mm, base cuneate, margins revolute, distal 1/2–3/4 incised ± 1/2 to midvein, teeth 2–4 per side, approximate, surfaces ± dissimilar, abaxial white to grayish white, long hairs 1 mm, cottony-crisped hairs dense, adaxial grayish green to grayish white, long and short-crisped hairs abundant to dense.
1–2(–3).
0–1.
(1–)3–10-flowered, usually openly cymose.
1–2(–3)-flowered.
1–3(–5) cm, straight to slightly recurved in fruit.
0.4–0.7 cm in flower, to 2 cm in fruit.
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 lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, 2–2.2 × 0.6–0.9 mm, 1/4–1/2 as wide as sepals, margins flat, red glands absent;
hypanthium 1.8–2.2 mm diam.;
sepals 3–3.5 mm, apex subacute;
petals 4–5 × 2.5–4 mm, longer than sepals;
filaments 1–1.5 mm, anthers 0.5 mm;
carpels 30–40, apical hairs absent, styles narrowly columnar, not or ± papillate-swollen in proximal 1/5 or less, 1.2–1.4 mm.
1.5–1.8 mm, smooth to faintly rugose, not carunculate.
1.1–1.4 mm.
Potentilla versicolor
Potentilla holmgrenii
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.)
Of conservation concern.
Potentilla holmgrenii is known only from the Schell Creek and Snake ranges, Nevada, and Deep Creek Range, Utah. In addition to characteristics given in the key, lateral leaflets and leaflet teeth of P. holmgrenii are directed more forward than in P. nivea, leaflets are thicker and more densely hairy, and the terminal tooth is often orbiculate and frequently overlapped by the adjacent pair of lateral teeth.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
OR
CalFlora
Flora NW
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
