Potentilla versicolor |
Potentilla intermedia |
|
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Steens Mountain cinquefoil, varying cinquefoil |
downy cinquefoil, potentille intermédiaire |
|
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. |
ascending to erect, 2–5 dm. |
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. |
palmate or ternate. |
Cauline leaves | 1–2(–3). |
3–8, proximal ones (3–)5–14 cm; proximal petioles (1–)2–10 cm, long hairs sparse to common, spreading to loosely appressed, 1–2 mm, weak, short or crisped hairs sparse to common, cottony hairs absent, glands absent or sparse; leaflets usually 5, central one oblanceolate to obovate, 2–4.5 × 1–2.5 cm, margins ± flat, distal 3/4+ usually unevenly, sometimes evenly, incised 1/3–2/3 to midvein (often with 1–2 incisions nearly to midvein), teeth 5–10 per side, surfaces similar or ± dissimilar, abaxial green to grayish green, long hairs sparse to common (especially on veins), 0.5–1.5 mm, soft to weak, short or crisped hairs ± sparse, cottony hairs absent, glands absent or sparse, adaxial long hairs absent or sparse, 1 mm, short hairs absent or sparse, crisped and cottony hairs absent, glands absent or sparse. |
Inflorescences | (1–)3–10-flowered, usually openly cymose. |
20–100+-flowered. |
Pedicels | 1–3(–5) cm, straight to slightly recurved in fruit. |
0.5–1.5(–2.5) 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 to ovate or elliptic, 2–5 × 0.8–1.5 mm, lengths usually 2/3, sometimes 1, times sepals; sepals 3.5–6.5 mm, apex ± acute; petals 3–5 × 2–3 mm; filaments 0.8–2 mm, anthers 0.3–0.5 mm; carpels 40–70, styles 1–1.2 mm, scarcely papillate-swollen proximally. |
Achenes | 1.5–1.8 mm, smooth to faintly rugose, not carunculate. |
1 mm, rugose. |
2n | = 28, 56 (Eurasia). |
|
Potentilla versicolor |
Potentilla intermedia |
|
Phenology | Flowering summer. | Flowering late spring–summer. |
Habitat | Rocky, alpine meadows, seasonally moist slopes, near streams or snowmelt | Dry waste places along roadsides, ditches, other open sites, in grasslands, oak and conifer woodlands |
Elevation | 2100–3200 m (6900–10500 ft) | 0–300 m (0–1000 ft) |
Distribution |
NV; OR
|
CT; IA; IN; MA; ME; MI; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; VT; WI; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC; SPM; Eurasia [Introduced in North America]
|
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.) |
Potentilla intermedia is more common than P. inclinata at least in eastern Canada and New England. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 9, p. 171. | FNA vol. 9, p. 145. |
Parent taxa | Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Multijugae | Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Terminales |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | P. heidenreichii | |
Name authority | Rydberg: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 344. (1908) | Linnaeus: Syst. Nat. ed. 12, 2: 351. (1767): Mant. Pl. 1: 76. (1767) |
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