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Potentilla versicolor

Steens Mountain cinquefoil, varying cinquefoil

Angell's or Boulder Mountain cinquefoil, Boulder Mountain cinquefoil

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

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

(0.4–)0.6–1.1 dm, lengths 2–3 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.

subpinnate, 1 pair of leaflets separate from terminal leaflets, distal leaflets distinct, 1.5–5 cm;

petiole 0.5–3(–4) cm, straight hairs abundant, loosely appressed to ascending, 1–2 mm, stiff, cottony hairs absent, glands sparse to abundant;

leaflets 5, on distal (1/10–)1/5–1/4 of leaf axis, separate, proximal pair separated from others by 1–3 mm of leaf axis, central leaflets narrowly cuneate to oblanceolate, 0.5–1.5 × 0.3–0.6 cm, petiolules 1 mm, distal 1/4(–1/3) or less of margins incised 1/2 or less to midvein, teeth (0–)1(–2) per side, ± separate, 1 mm, surfaces ± dissimilar, abaxial grayish to white, straight hairs ± abundant, appressed, 1–1.5 mm, ± stiff, cottony hairs abundant to sparse, glands ± sparse or obscured, adaxial greenish, straight hairs abundant, ± appressed, 1–1.5(–2) mm, stiff, cottony hairs absent, glands sparse to abundant.

Cauline leaves

1–2(–3).

Inflorescences

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

solitary flowers or 2–3-flowered.

Pedicels

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

(1–)1.5–3 cm.

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 lanceolate-elliptic to ovate, 2–4 × 0.8–1.5 mm;

hypanthium 3–5 mm diam.;

sepals 3–5(–6) mm, apex ± acute;

petals (4–)5–6.5 × 4–5.5 mm;

filaments 1.5–2.5 mm, anthers 0.7–1 mm;

carpels 10–30, styles 2–2.5 mm.

Achenes

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

1.5–2 mm, smooth to faintly rugose.

Potentilla versicolor

Potentilla angelliae

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering summer.
Habitat Rocky, alpine meadows, seasonally moist slopes, near streams or snowmelt Rocky subalpine meadows
Elevation 2100–3200 m (6900–10500 ft) 3300–3400 m (10800–11200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
NV; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
UT
[BONAP county map]
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 angelliae is known only from Boulder Mountain on the Aquarius Plateau in Garfield and Wayne counties. Comparable plants, whose status has yet to be resolved, have been collected in Montezuma County, Colorado. S. L. Welsh et al. (1993) suggested that P. angelliae might best be treated as a variety of P. concinna; the combination of subpalmate leaves, tridentate leaflets, and relatively few-flowered inflorescences extending beyond the leaves makes P. angelliae a well-defined species with no evidence of intergradation.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 171. FNA vol. 9, p. 180.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Multijugae Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Concinnae
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. 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
P. albiflora, P. ambigens, P. anachoretica, 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. versicolor, P. villosa, P. villosula, P. vulcanicola, P. wheeleri
Name authority Rydberg: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 344. (1908) N. H. Holmgren: Brittonia 39: 342, fig. 2. (1987)
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