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Kern cinquefoil, Wheeler's cinquefoil

Hualapai cinquefoil

Stems

0.2–2.5 dm.

0.2–1.5(–2) dm.

Basal leaves

palmate, 1.5–9.5 cm;

petiole 1–7 cm, long hairs abundant to dense, spreading to appressed, 1–2 mm, weak to stiff, glands ± abundant;

leaflets 5, central cuneate-elliptic to obovate, 0.5–2.5 × 0.3–1.5 cm, scarcely to distinctly petiolulate, distal 1/3 of margins evenly incised ± 1/4 to midvein, teeth 2–4(–5) per side, surfaces gray-green, long hairs abundant to dense, 1–1.5 mm, glands ± abundant, sometimes obscured.

usually palmate, sometimes ternate, 2–8 cm;

petiole 1–7 cm, long hairs common, spreading to ascending, 1.5–2.5 mm, weak to ± stiff, glands abundant;

leaflets (3–)5, central oblanceolate, 0.5–1.5(–2) × 0.4–0.8 cm, scarcely petiolulate, distal ± 3/4 of margins ± evenly incised 1/2–3/4 to midvein, teeth 2–3(–4) per side, surfaces green, long hairs sparse to common, 0.5–1.5 mm, glands abundant.

Inflorescences

1–20-flowered.

1–7-flowered.

Pedicels

0.5–1.5 cm.

0.5–1(–2) cm.

Flowers

epicalyx bractlets lanceolate to ovate-elliptic, 1–3.5 × 1–1.5 mm;

hypanthium 2–4 mm diam.;

sepals 2–5 mm, apex ± acute;

petals ± paler abaxially, bright yellow adaxially, ± obcordate, 3–6 × 2–5 mm;

filaments 1–2 mm, anthers 0.5 mm;

carpels ca. 20, styles (1.2–)1.5–2 mm.

epicalyx bractlets ovate-elliptic, 1–2.5 × 1–1.5 mm;

hypanthium 2–3 mm diam.;

sepals 2.5–4 mm, apex obtuse;

petals ± paler abaxially, bright yellow adaxially, ± obcordate, 3–7 × 2.5–4 mm;

filaments 1.3–2 mm, anthers 0.5 mm;

carpels 5–12, styles 2–2.5 mm.

Achenes

1–1.5 mm, lightly rugose.

1.5–1.8 mm, smooth to lightly rugose.

Short

hairs not well differentiated from long hairs, absent or sparse throughout.

hairs not well differentiated from long hairs, absent or sparse throughout.

Potentilla wheeleri

Potentilla demotica

Phenology Flowering May–Sep. Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat Sandy flats, streamsides, lake margins, open conifer woodlands, alpine fellfields Crevices on granitic outcrops, in Yellow pine forests
Elevation 1800–3500 m (5900–11500 ft) 2300–2400 m (7500–7900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Potentilla wheeleri is found in the southern Sierra Nevada and San Bernardino Mountains of southern California. Compact plants on the summit of Mount San Gorgonio, described by Jepson as var. paupercula, show no consistent difference to justify their taxonomic segregation. Variety viscidula Rydberg has been misapplied to Arizona populations now called P. rhyolitica. Plants identified as P. wheeleri (excluding P. rimicola) from the Sierra San Pedro Mártir (Baja California) stand as a distinct species, P. luteosericea Rydberg (= P. pinetorum Wiggins).

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

Of conservation concern.

Potentilla demotica is known from a single granitic knoll in the Hualapai Mountains, Mohave County. The species was reported as a western range extension of P. subviscosa by M. Butterwick et al. (1991); it differs in rock-dwelling habit, petal color, and epicalyx, among other characters.

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

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 185. FNA vol. 9, p. 185.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Subviscosae Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Subviscosae
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. versicolor, P. villosa, P. villosula, P. vulcanicola
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. 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
Synonyms P. wheeleri var. paupercula
Name authority S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 11: 148. (1876) Ertter: J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 1: 53, fig. 2. (2007)
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