Potentilla versicolor
Potentilla sierrae-blancae
Steens Mountain cinquefoil, varying cinquefoil
Sierra blanca cinquefoil
prostrate to ascending, (0.7–)1.5–2.5(–4) dm, lengths 2–4(–5) times basal leaves.
0.2–1 dm, lengths 1–1.5 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.
palmate, 2–8 cm;
petiole 0.5–5 cm, straight hairs sparse to abundant, sometimes absent, ± appressed, 2–3 mm, usually ± stiff, cottony hairs absent, glands absent;
leaflets (3–)4–5, at tip of leaf axis, separate, proximal pair separated from others by 0(–1) mm of leaf axis, central leaflets narrowly cuneate-oblanceolate, 0.8–2.2 × 0.2–0.5 cm, petiolules 0(–1) mm, less than distal 1/4 of margins incised 1/2–3/4 to midvein, teeth 1(–2) per side, ± separate, 1–2 mm, surfaces similar, green, straight hairs mostly absent (except on margins), appressed, 1–2 mm, stiff, cottony hairs absent, glands absent, rarely sparse.
1–2(–3).
(1–)3–10-flowered, usually openly cymose.
solitary flowers or 2–3-flowered.
1–3(–5) cm, straight to slightly recurved in fruit.
1–4 cm.
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 narrowly to widely elliptic-ovate, 2–3.5 × 1–1.5 mm;
hypanthium 3–5 mm diam.;
sepals 3–5 mm, apex obtuse to acute;
petals 5–7 × 4–6 mm;
filaments 1–2 mm, anthers 0.4–0.8 mm;
carpels 5–20, styles 2 mm.
1.5–1.8 mm, smooth to faintly rugose, not carunculate.
1.5 mm, smooth.
Potentilla versicolor
Potentilla sierrae-blancae
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 sierrae-blancae is restricted to the White Mountains, Lincoln and Otero counties. P. A. Rydberg (1898, 1908d) and B. C. Johnston (1985) placed P. sierrae-blancae in sect. (or group) Aureae; the species fits well in sect. Concinnae, combining the few-flowered inflorescence of P. angelliae with the tridentate leaflets of P. bicrenata and P. johnstonii.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
OR
CalFlora
Flora NW
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
