Potentilla modesta

Rydberg in N. L. Britton et al.

in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 331. 1908.

Common names: Modest cinquefoil
Endemic
Synonyms: Potentilla concinna var. modesta (Rydberg) S. L. Welsh & B. C. Johnston
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 9. Treatment on page 209. Mentioned on page 178, 207.

Caudex branches usually not sheathed with marcescent whole leaves. Stems ascending to nearly erect, (0.3–) 0.5–1.5 (–2.5) dm. Basal leaves usually palmate, rarely also ternate on same plant or subpalmate, 2–6 (–8) cm; petiole 0.5–3.5 (–5) cm, long hairs common to abundant, ± ascending to almost spreading, 1–2 mm, weak to ± stiff, scarcely to ± verrucose, short and/or crisped hairs common to abundant, cottony hairs absent, glands sparse to common; leaflets (3–) 5, proximalmost separated by 0–1 mm, central obovate to oblanceolate-elliptic, 0.5–2 (–2.5) × 0.5–1 (–1.5) cm, petiolules 1 mm, distal 3/4 to nearly whole margin incised 1/2–3/4 to midvein, teeth 2–5 per side, (1–) 2–5 mm, apical tufts 0.5–1 mm, abaxial surfaces white, long hairs common to abundant, cottony-crisped hairs dense, short hairs and glands absent or obscured, adaxial grayish green, long hairs common to abundant, 0.5–1.5 mm, ± stiff, rarely soft, short and/or crisped hairs sparse to common, cottony hairs absent, glands sparse to common. Cauline leaves 1–2. Inflorescences (1–) 3–10-flowered, congested or ± elongating in fruit, branch angle 20–35°. Pedicels 0.2–0.5 cm, proximal to 1.2 cm. Flowers: epicalyx bractlets narrowly elliptic, 1.5–3 × 0.5–1 mm; hypanthium 3–4 mm diam.; sepals 2.5–4 mm, apex ± acute, glands abundant, usually not obscured; petals yellow, ± overlapping, 3.5–5 × 3–4 mm, slightly longer than sepals; filaments 1 mm, anthers 0.3–0.7 mm; carpels 20–40, styles 1 mm. Achenes 1 mm.


Phenology: Flowering summer.
Habitat: Alpine tundra, fellfields, talus slopes, cliffs, usually on limestone
Elevation: 2500–3900 m

Distribution

V9 315-distribution-map.jpg

Colo., Idaho, Mont., Utah, Wyo.

Discussion

Potentilla modesta is the dominant component of what has previously been called P. rubricaulis in the Intermountain Region (for example, N. H. Holmgren 1997b, including illustration). This and other species of alpine Potentilla often grow in mixed populations, which contributes to confusion and mistaken identifications. In general, P. modesta has a more compact inflorescence and more consistently palmate basal leaves than sympatric members of the section. Intergrades with P. jepsonii (sect. Pensylvanicae) can also be problematic, though leaves of the latter are generally subpinnate and abaxially grayish rather than white.

The epithet modesta is misapplied in the combination Potentilla concinna var. modesta, which S. L. Welsh et al. (1993) used for plants mostly placed here in P. concinna var. divisa (sect. Concinnae).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

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... more about "Potentilla modesta"
green +  and gray +
not glaucous +  and cottony +
not glaucous +  and cottony +
smooth +  and faintly rugose +
0.03 cm0.3 mm <br />3.0e-4 m <br /> (0.07 cm0.7 mm <br />7.0e-4 m <br />) +
Reidar Elven +  and Barbara Ertter +
Rydberg in N. L. Britton et al. +
subpalmate +, ternate +  and palmate +
opposite +  and alternate +
6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br /> (8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br />) +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
Rubricaules +
25 cm250 mm <br />0.25 m <br /> (30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br />) +
less cordate or reniform +  and narrowly elliptic +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (25 cm250 mm <br />0.25 m <br />) +
coriaceous +
reduced +
free +  and distinct +
hairy +  and glabrous +
obovate +  and oblanceolate-elliptic +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
Modest cinquefoil +
Colo. +, Idaho +, Mont. +, Utah +  and Wyo. +
not +  and aggregated +
2500–3900 m +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (?) +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
not +  and aggregated +
deciduous +
on style scar +, hairy +  and glabrous +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.26 cm2.6 mm <br />0.0026 m <br />) +
abundant;sparse;common +
crisped +
Alpine tundra, fellfields, talus slopes, cliffs, usually on limestone +
stoloniferous +  and short-rhizomatous +
straight +
stiff +, weak +  and more or less stiff +
spreading +, ascending to almost +  and ascending +
sparse +  and common +
verrucose +
crisped +  and cottony-crisped +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
0.5mm;2.5mm +
turbinate +, patelliform +  and cupulate +
(1-)3-10-flowered +
crassinucellate +
bipinnate +, odd-pinnate +, subpalmate +, palmate +  and ternate +
opposite +  and alternate +
marcescent +
well-developed +
persistent +
cauline +  and basal +
reduced +
oblanceolate +  and obovate oblong or elliptic +
linear +  and oblanceolate +
palmate +  and pinnate +
1/2 (?) +  and 3/4 (?) +
inferior +  and superior +
clustered +, biseriate +  and superposed +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
overlapping +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
free +  and distinct +
3.5mm;5mm +
slightly longer +
obcordate +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br />) +
1/2 +  and 3/4 +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (?) +
Flowering summer. +
adnate +, free +, connate +  and distinct +
ternate +, usually palmate +  and subpalmate +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br />) +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. +
not arillate +
persistent +
free +  and distinct +
erect +  and spreading +
lanceolate +  and broadly ovate or deltate +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
free +  and distinct +
not rooting +
reddish +  and green +
ascending +  and nearly erect +
1 +  and many +
not flagelliform +
palmate +  and pinnate +
linear;ovate +
deciduous +
distinct +
subapical +
papillate-swollen +, less columnar +  and tapered +
rough-thickened +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (?) +
Potentilla concinna var. modesta +
not fleshy-thickened +
Potentilla modesta +
Potentilla sect. Rubricaules +
species +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
2 (?) +  and 5 (?) +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
inconspicuous +
enlarged +
biennial +, annual +  and perennial +
herb +  and matted +