Potentilla verna

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 1: 498. 1753.

Common names: Spring cinquefoil
Introduced
Synonyms: Potentilla tabernaemontani Ascherson
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 9. Treatment on page 190. Mentioned on page 188, 189.

Plants openly matted; caudex branches elongate, slender, sometimes rooting at nodes. Stems prostrate to decumbent, rarely weakly erect, 0.3–1.5 dm, lengths 1–2 (–3) times basal leaves. Basal leaves not in ranks, palmate, 2–5 (–10) cm; stipules: apex acuminate to acute, rarely obtuse; petiole 1–6 cm, long hairs common, ascending to appressed, 1–2.5 mm, weak to ± stiff, glands absent or sparse; leaflets 5–7, central oblanceolate to obovate, (0.8–) 1–3 × 0.4–1.5 cm, petiolule 0–2 mm, margins flat, not lobed, distal 1/4–1/2 (–2/3) evenly incised ± 1/3 to midvein, teeth 2–4 (–5) per side, surfaces similar, green, hairs absent especially adaxially or sparse, 0.5–1.5 (–2) mm, glands absent or sparse. Inflorescences 3–5 (–6) -flowered. Pedicels often recurved, 1–3 (–4) cm, not much longer in fruit than in flower. Flowers: epicalyx bractlets lanceolate, 3.5–5 × 1–1.5 mm, margins flat; hypanthium 2–4 mm diam.; sepals 3–5 mm, apex broadly acute to obtuse; petals yellow, 5–8 (–10) × 4–6 mm; filaments 0.8–2 mm, anthers 0.5–0.8 mm; carpels 40–60, styles ± columnar, not papillate-swollen proximally, 1 mm. Achenes 1.5–2 mm. 2n = 28, 35, 42, 49, 56, 63, 70, 84 (Europe).


Phenology: Flowering spring–early summer.
Habitat: Dry roadsides and lawns
Elevation: 0–200 m

Distribution

V9 284-distribution-map.jpg

Introduced; Ont., Conn., Mich., Minn., Europe

Discussion

The use of the name Potentilla verna here reflects the successful proposal by J. Soják (2009) to conserve P. verna with a conserved type. Alternatives in recent use include P. neumanniana Reichenbach (misapplied) and P. tabernaemontani. The species has an established horticultural presence, primarily as a ground cover, and is to be expected in North America beyond where reported here.

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(-3)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 verna"
84 +, 70 +, 63 +, 56 +, 49 +, 42 +, 35 +  and 28 +
pale +  and dark green rarely grayish brownish or reddish +
1.5mm +  and 2mm +
green +  and dark green rarely brownish or reddish +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.08 cm0.8 mm <br />8.0e-4 m <br />) +
broadly acute;obtuse +
Reidar Elven +, Barbara Ertter +, David F. Murray +  and James L. Reveal +
Linnaeus +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br />) +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
Aureae +
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 +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
oblanceolate +  and obovate +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
Spring cinquefoil +
Ont. +, Conn. +, Mich. +, Minn. +  and Europe +
not +  and aggregated +
0–200 m +
0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
0.08 cm0.8 mm <br />8.0e-4 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
5-merous +, solitary +  and open +
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 />) +
sparse;sparse +
Dry roadsides and lawns +
stoloniferous +  and short-rhizomatous +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
straight +
weak +  and more or less stiff +
ascending +  and appressed +
crisped +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 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 />) +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
0.5mm;2.5mm +
turbinate +, patelliform +  and cupulate +
crassinucellate +
bipinnate +, odd-pinnate +, subpalmate +, palmate +  and ternate +
opposite +  and alternate +
marcescent +
well-developed +
persistent +
cauline +  and basal +
reduced +
not +  and overlapping +
obtriangular +  and flabellate +
linear +  and oblanceolate +
palmate +  and pinnate +
1/3 (?) +, 1/4 (?) +  and 1/2-2/3 (?) +
incised +  and not lobed +
inferior +  and superior +
clustered +, biseriate +  and superposed +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
free +  and distinct +
usually longer +
obcordate +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
Flowering spring–early summer. +
adnate +, free +, connate +  and distinct +
palmate +  and ternate +
12 cm120 mm <br />0.12 m <br /> (20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (12 cm120 mm <br />0.12 m <br />) +
usually not much longer +
not arillate +
persistent +
free +  and distinct +
erect +  and spreading +
lanceolate +  and broadly ovate or deltate +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
Introduced +
free +  and distinct +
not rooting +
reddish +  and green +
prostrate to decumbent +
1 +  and many +
not flagelliform +
palmate +  and pinnate +
linear;ovate +
deciduous +
distinct +
subapical +
papillate-swollen +  and columnar +
rough-thickened +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (?) +
Potentilla tabernaemontani +
not fleshy-thickened +
Potentilla verna +
Potentilla sect. Aureae +
species +
2 (?) +  and 4 (?) +
inconspicuous +
enlarged +
matted +  and cushion-forming +
biennial +, annual +  and perennial +
plant +  and matted +