The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

Kern cinquefoil, Wheeler's cinquefoil

Flagstaff cinquefoil

Stems

0.2–2.5 dm.

3–7(–10) 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.

± subpalmate, sometimes palmate, (4–)6–15(–21) cm;

petiole (2–)4–10(–15) cm, long hairs sparse to abundant, spreading to weakly appressed, 0.5–2(–3) mm, weak to ± stiff, glands sparse to abundant;

leaflets (5–)7, on less than distal 1/10 (1–5[–10] mm) of leaf axis, central one 1–6(–7) × 1–2(–3) cm, petiolules 0(–6) mm, distal 1/2–3/4 (sometimes nearly whole), margin incised 1/5 or less to midvein, teeth 4–10(–15) per side, 1–2(–3) mm, teeth apex ± obtuse, surfaces ± similar, abaxial green, straight hairs sparse to abundant, especially on veins, 0.5–1.5 mm, cottony hairs absent, glands ± sparse or absent, adaxial slightly paler green, hairs shorter and sparser.

Cauline leaves

stipules usually entire.

Inflorescences

1–20-flowered.

(4–)8–40(–70)-flowered.

Pedicels

0.5–1.5 cm.

0.3–2 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 lanceolate-elliptic, 3.5–8 × 1–1.5(–2) mm;

sepals 4–8(–10) mm, apex acuminate;

petals dark reddish proximally, reddish orange distally, (3.5–)5–9 × 5–10 mm;

filaments 1.5–2.5 mm, anthers 0.8 mm;

carpels 30–40, styles 2–3 mm.

Achenes

1–1.5 mm, lightly rugose.

1.5–2 mm, lightly rugose.

Short

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

Potentilla wheeleri

Potentilla sanguinea

Phenology Flowering May–Sep. Flowering summer.
Habitat Sandy flats, streamsides, lake margins, open conifer woodlands, alpine fellfields Moist forest settings in oak and conifer woodlands
Elevation 1800–3500 m (5900–11500 ft) 2100–2200 m (6900–7200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ
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 sanguinea is known only from south and east of Flagstaff, Coconino County. The species may be a hybrid between P. thurberi var. thurberi and P. hippiana or another member of sect. Leucophyllae that occurs sympatrically.

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

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 185. FNA vol. 9, p. 149.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Subviscosae Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Potentilla > sect. Rubrae
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. 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. 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. thurberi var. sanguinea
Name authority S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 11: 148. (1876) Rydberg: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 324. (1908)
Web links