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Kern cinquefoil, Wheeler's cinquefoil

downy cinquefoil, potentille intermédiaire

Stems

0.2–2.5 dm.

ascending to erect, 2–5 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.

palmate or ternate.

Cauline leaves

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

1–20-flowered.

20–100+-flowered.

Pedicels

0.5–1.5 cm.

0.5–1.5(–2.5) 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 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

1–1.5 mm, lightly rugose.

1 mm, rugose.

Short

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

2n

= 28, 56 (Eurasia).

Potentilla wheeleri

Potentilla intermedia

Phenology Flowering May–Sep. Flowering late spring–summer.
Habitat Sandy flats, streamsides, lake margins, open conifer woodlands, alpine fellfields Dry waste places along roadsides, ditches, other open sites, in grasslands, oak and conifer woodlands
Elevation 1800–3500 m (5900–11500 ft) 0–300 m (0–1000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
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]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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.)

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. 185. FNA vol. 9, p. 145.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Subviscosae Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Terminales
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. 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. 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 P. heidenreichii
Name authority S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 11: 148. (1876) Linnaeus: Syst. Nat. ed. 12, 2: 351. (1767): Mant. Pl. 1: 76. (1767)
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