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Potentilla versicolor

Steens Mountain cinquefoil, varying cinquefoil

Jepson's cinquefoil, Jepson's potentilla

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.

decumbent to nearly erect, (0.2–)0.5–2.6 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.

subpinnate to subpalmate, 1.5–10(–17) cm;

petiole 0.5–4(–8) cm, long hairs ± abundant, spreading to loosely appressed, 0.5–2 mm, weak to stiff, short hairs absent or sparse, cottony or crisped hairs absent, glands sparse to abundant;

leaflets (1–)2–3 per side, on distal 1/6–1/3(–1/2) of leaf axis, separate to slightly overlapping, terminal ones oblanceolate-elliptic to narrowly obovate, (0.5–)1–2.5(–3.5) × 0.4–1(–1.3) cm, margins strongly revolute, incised 3/4+ to midvein, undivided medial blade 1.5–3(–5) mm wide, teeth (2–)3–5(–6) per side, ± linear-elliptic to rarely ovate or oblanceolate, surfaces ± dissimilar, abaxial ± grayish, rarely white, long hairs ± abundant especially on veins, 1 mm, weak, short hairs absent or sparse, cottony hairs absent, crisped hairs sparse to abundant, glands ± abundant, sometimes obscured, adaxial green to gray-green, long hairs sparse to abundant, loosely appressed, 0.5–1(–2) mm, short hairs absent or sparse, cottony and crisped hairs absent, glands ± abundant.

Cauline leaves

1–2(–3).

1–2.

Inflorescences

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

(1–)3–12(–20)-flowered, congested, scarcely opening in fruit.

Pedicels

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

0.2–0.5 cm (proximal to 1.2 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 elliptic to linear, 1.5–3 × (0.3–)0.5–1.2 mm, lengths 1/2–3/4 times sepals, margins flat;

hypanthium 2.5–5 mm diam.;

sepals 2–5 mm, apex usually ± acute to obtuse, rarely acuminate, abaxial surfaces: venation faint, glands abundant, evident;

petals pale yellow, 2–5 × 2–4 mm, lengths ± equal to sepals;

filaments 0.5–2 mm, anthers 0.3–0.7 mm;

carpels 20–60, styles papillate-swollen in proximal 1/2–3/4+, 0.8–1.2 mm.

Achenes

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

1 mm, smooth to faintly rugose.

Potentilla versicolor

Potentilla jepsonii

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering summer.
Habitat Rocky, alpine meadows, seasonally moist slopes, near streams or snowmelt Seasonally moist sites in alpine meadows, ridges, fellfields, rock ledges, talus slopes
Elevation 2100–3200 m (6900–10500 ft) 2500–3700 m (8200–12100 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
NV; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WA; AB
[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.)

Potentilla jepsonii (a replacement name for P. pensylvanica var. ovium) is widespread at higher elevations in the Intermountain Region, extending into the Sierra Nevada in California and the Rocky Mountains in Idaho and Wyoming. Disjunct occurrences are known on the north rim of the Grand Canyon and San Francisco Peaks, Arizona, and Steens Mountain, Oregon. Collections have most commonly been included in P. pensylvanica (for example, B. Ertter 1993; N. H. Holmgren 1997b); they differ in leaf division, vestiture, and epicalyx bractlets. J. Soják considered var. ovium to be a variety of P. litoralis, which has comparable leaves and vestiture; P. jepsonii lacks the enlarged, revolute epicalyx bractlets that distinguish P. litoralis and is for the most part well separated geographically and elevationally. The exception is the montane phase of P. litoralis, which, at the current stage of knowledge, is somewhat arbitrarily delimited from P. jepsonii in the northern Rocky Mountains; collections from Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta and the Okanogan Mountains in Washington are tentatively placed here in P. jepsonii.

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

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 171. FNA vol. 9, p. 216.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Multijugae Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Pensylvanicae
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. 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. 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
Synonyms P. pensylvanica var. ovium, P. litoralis var. ovium
Name authority Rydberg: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 344. (1908) Ertter: J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 2: 202. (2008)
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