Potentilla plattensis

Nuttall in J. Torrey and A. Gray

in J. Torrey and A. Gray, Fl. N. Amer. 1: 439. 1840.

Common names: Platte cinquefoil
EndemicIllustrated
Synonyms: Potentilla diversifolia var. madsenii S. L. Welsh & N. D. Atwood P. plattensis var. pedicillata A. Nelson
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 9. Treatment on page 173. Mentioned on page 169, 170.

Plants rosetted to tufted; taproots fleshy-thickened. Stems initially decumbent to sometimes ascending, becoming prostrate or supported by vegetation, (0.3–) 0.5–3.5 (–4.5) dm, lengths 1.5–2.5 (–4) times basal leaves. Basal leaves pinnate with distal leaflets ± distinct, 2–15 (–20) × 1–3 cm; petiole 0.5–5 cm, straight hairs common, tightly appressed, 0.5 (–1) mm, stiff, cottony hairs absent, glands absent or sparse; primary lateral leaflets (3–) 4–6 (–8) per side, on distal (1/4–) 1/2–3/4 of leaf axis, overlapping to separate, largest ones obovate, 0.5–1.5 (–2) × 0.5–1 (–1.3) cm, distal (1/2–) 2/3 to whole margin pinnately incised 3/4+ to midvein, ultimate teeth 5–10, linear-oblanceolate, 1.5–8 (–10) × 1–2 mm, apical tufts less than 0.5 mm, surfaces green to grayish green, not glaucous, straight hairs sparse to common (sparser adaxially), tightly appressed, 0.5 mm, stiff, cottony hairs absent, glands absent or inconspicuous. Cauline leaves 1–3. Inflorescences (1–) 3–15 (–20) -flowered, loosely cymose, sometimes racemiform. Pedicels 1–4 (–5) cm, ± recurved in fruit. Flowers: epicalyx bractlets narrowly elliptic to linear-lanceolate, 2–5 (–6) × 0.5–2 mm; hypanthium 3–4 mm diam.; sepals 3–6 mm, apex acute; petals 4–7 × 3–6 mm; filaments 1–2.5 mm, anthers 0.5–1 mm, usually ± 1/2 as long as filaments; carpels 10–20, styles 1.5–2.5 mm. Achenes (1.3–) 1.5–1.9 mm, smooth, often ± carunculate. 2n = 70.


Phenology: Flowering summer.
Habitat: Moist meadows, streamsides, reservoir margins
Elevation: 300–2900 m

Distribution

V9 251-distribution-map.jpg

Alta., Man., N.W.T., Sask., Ariz., Colo., Idaho, Mont., N.Mex., N.Dak., S.Dak., Utah, Wyo.

Discussion

Potentilla plattensis occurs mostly east of the Continental Divide from the Canadian Prairies to the mountains of New Mexico. The species barely enters Idaho at Monida Pass (Clark County). Populations also exist in the White Mountains of east-central Arizona and the mountains of southern Utah. The species is relatively uniform throughout its range but there is often significant seasonal variation, such that plants can be compact and densely strigose in early summer but elongate and subglabrous later in the season.

Where the ranges of Potentilla plattensis and P. ovina overlap, the two are sometimes difficult to distinguish. The habitats are usually distinct, in that P. plattensis generally occurs in moist valley bottoms and P. ovina occurs in rocky uplands. Differences in vestiture are also diagnostic: hairs of P. plattensis are 0.5 mm and tightly appressed; those of P. ovina are longer and looser.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"thin" is not a number."dm" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property."-2.5(-4)timesbasalleaves" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property."dm" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property."dm" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

... more about "Potentilla plattensis"
0.13 cm1.3 mm <br />0.0013 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
smooth +  and faintly rugose +
1.5mm +  and 1.9mm +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
Barbara Ertter +
Nuttall in J. Torrey and A. Gray +
compound +  and simple +
15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br /> (20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br />) +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
Multijugae +
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 +
Platte cinquefoil +
Alta. +, Man. +, N.W.T. +, Sask. +, Ariz. +, Colo. +, Idaho +, Mont. +, N.Mex. +, N.Dak. +, S.Dak. +, Utah +  and Wyo. +
not +  and aggregated +
300–2900 m +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
narrowly elliptic +  and linear-lanceolate +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 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 />) +
inconspicuous +
Moist meadows, streamsides, reservoir margins +
stoloniferous +  and short-rhizomatous +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
straight +
sparse +  and dense +
spreading +  and more or less appressed +
sparse +  and common +
crisped +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
not differentiated +
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 +
racemiform +, cymose +  and (1-)3-15(-20)-flowered +
crassinucellate +
bipinnate +, odd-pinnate +, subpalmate +, palmate +  and ternate +
opposite +  and alternate +
marcescent +
well-developed +
persistent +
cauline +  and basal +
reduced +
not +  and overlapping +
oblanceolate +  and obovate oblong cuneate flabellate or elliptic +
linear +  and oblanceolate +
palmate +  and pinnate +
inferior +  and superior +
clustered +, biseriate +  and superposed +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
free +  and distinct +
obcordate +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
Flowering summer. +
adnate +, free +, connate +  and distinct +
overlapping +  and separate +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br />) +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br /> (32 cm320 mm <br />0.32 m <br />) +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br />) +
often not much longer +
in J. Torrey and A. Gray, Fl. N. Amer. +
not arillate +
persistent +
free +  and distinct +
erect +  and spreading +
lanceolate +  and broadly ovate or deltate +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
Endemic +  and Illustrated +
free +  and distinct +
not rooting +
reddish +  and green +
supported by vegetation , (0.3-)0.5-3.5(-4.5) dm +, prostrate +  and decumbent +
ascending +  and decumbent to sometimes +
prostrate to decumbent +
1 +  and many +
not flagelliform +
palmate +  and pinnate +
linear;ovate +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
deciduous +
distinct +
subapical +
papillate-swollen +  and filiform +
rough-thickened +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br />) +
green +  and grayish green +
not glaucous +
Potentilla diversifolia var. madsenii +  and P. plattensis var. pedicillata +
fleshy-thickened +
Potentilla plattensis +
Potentilla sect. Multijugae +
species +
1 (?) +  and 5 (?) +
inconspicuous +
enlarged +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
rosetted +  and tufted +
biennial +, annual +  and perennial +