Potentilla versicolor |
Potentilla multijuga |
|
---|---|---|
Steens Mountain cinquefoil, varying cinquefoil |
Ballona cinquefoil, lost cinquefoil |
|
Habit | Plants rosetted to ± matted; taproots ± fleshy-thickened. | Plants ± rosetted; taproots ± fleshy-thickened. |
Stems | prostrate to ascending, (0.7–)1.5–2.5(–4) dm, lengths 2–4(–5) times basal leaves. |
prostrate to ascending, 2–5(–7) dm, lengths 1–2 times basal leaves. |
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. |
pinnate with distal leaflets ± confluent, 10–22 × 1.5–3.5 cm; petiole (2–)4–10 cm, straight hairs absent or sparse, appressed, 0.5–1.5 mm, stiff, cottony hairs absent, glands absent; primary lateral leaflets 3–8 per side, on distal 1/3–2/3 of leaf axis, ± separate, largest ones cuneate to obovate, 1–2.2 × 0.8–1.5 cm, distal 1/3–2/3 of margin ± evenly incised ± 1/2 to midvein, ultimate teeth 3–6, ± ovate, 2–6 × 1.5–3 mm, apical tufts absent, surfaces green, not glaucous, straight hairs sparse to nearly absent (except on margins), ± appressed, 0.5–1 mm, stiff, cottony hairs absent, glands absent or sparse. |
Cauline leaves | 1–2(–3). |
1–3. |
Inflorescences | (1–)3–10-flowered, usually openly cymose. |
3–10(–20)-flowered, very openly cymose, sometimes racemiform. |
Pedicels | 1–3(–5) cm, straight to slightly recurved in fruit. |
1.5–3.5(–5) cm, ± recurved in fruit. |
Flowers | 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 ovate-elliptic, 2.5–4(–5) × 1.5–3 mm, sometimes toothed; hypanthium 4–6 mm diam.; sepals 4–6(–7) mm, apex acute, rarely acuminate; petals 4.5–10 × 4–10 mm; filaments 1.5–3(–4.5) mm, anthers 0.7–1 mm; carpels 5–10, styles 2–3 mm. |
Achenes | 1.5–1.8 mm, smooth to faintly rugose, not carunculate. |
1.8–2 mm, smooth to faintly rugose, possibly carunculate. |
Potentilla versicolor |
Potentilla multijuga |
|
Phenology | Flowering summer. | Flowering spring–early summer. |
Habitat | Rocky, alpine meadows, seasonally moist slopes, near streams or snowmelt | Brackish coastal meadows or marshes |
Elevation | 2100–3200 m (6900–10500 ft) | 0–10 m (0–0 ft) |
Distribution |
NV; OR
|
CA |
Discussion | 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 multijuga is known only from a handful of collections made in the 1890s near the current site of Los Angeles International Airport. All efforts to locate extant plants have failed; the species is presumed extinct. Continued use of P. multijuga for this species required conservation of the name with a conserved type, because the type designated by Lehmann is a specimen of Horkelia cuneata Lindley var. cuneata (B. Ertter and J. L. Reveal 2008). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 9, p. 171. | FNA vol. 9, p. 175. |
Parent taxa | Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Multijugae | Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Multijugae |
Sibling taxa | ||
Name authority | Rydberg: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 344. (1908) | Lehmann: Index Seminum (Hamburg) 1849: 6. (1849) |
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