Potentilla sect. Concinnae

Perennials, usually rosetted to tufted, not stoloniferous; taproots sometimes thick, not fleshy; vestiture primarily of long and/or cottony hairs (and crisped hairs in inflorescence), glands absent or sparse to abundant, rarely reddish. Stems prostrate to ± decumbent, not flagelliform, not rooting at nodes, lateral to persistent basal rosettes, 0.2–1.5(–2.7) dm, lengths 1/2–3(–4) times basal leaves. Leaves: basal not in ranks; cauline 0–2; primary leaves palmate to subpalmate, sometimes subpinnate to pinnate (distal leaflets sometimes confluent), 1.5–12(–15) cm; petiole: long hairs ± appressed to ascending, stiff to weak, glands absent or sparse or obscured, rarely abundant; leaflets (3–)5–9(–11), at tip or to distal 3/4+ of leaf axis, separate to strongly overlapping, narrowly oblanceolate or cuneate to obovate, margins flat, less than distal 1/5 to whole length evenly, sometimes unevenly, incised 1/4–3/4+ to midvein, sometimes medially cleft as well, rarely entire, teeth (0–)1–5(–10) per side, surfaces similar to strongly dissimilar, abaxial green to white, cottony hairs absent or sparse to dense, adaxial green to grayish, not glaucous, long hairs usually stiff, rarely weak. Inflorescences (1–)2–12(–15)-flowered, usually ± cymose, open, sometimes racemiform when prostrate. Pedicels often recurved in fruit, 0.7–3(–4.5) cm, proximal usually not much longer than distal. Flowers 5-merous; hypanthium 2.5–6 mm diam.; petals yellow, ± obcordate, (2.5–)3.5–7(–9) mm, longer than sepals, apex usually ± retuse; stamens ca. 20; styles subapical, filiform to filiform-tapered, not papillate-swollen or in proximal 1/5, (1–)1.5–3 mm. Achenes smooth to ± rugose.

Distribution

w North America, n Mexico.

Discussion

Species ca. 10 (8 in the flora).

Section Concinnae, as here defined, accommodates a cluster of species that occur from the western Great Plains to California and to the mountains of northern Mexico. Stems are commonly prostrate or nearly so and are sometimes shorter than the basal leaves; pedicels tend to become recurved in fruit. Inflorescences often have abundant reddish papillae at the bases of hairs on hypanthia, epicalyx bractlets, and sepals. Leaves are most commonly palmate to subpalmate (except for Potentilla angelliae, P. macounii, and P. morefieldii), most often sparsely to densely cottony abaxially (except for P. multisecta, P. johnstonii, and P. sierrae-blancae), and strigose adaxially with stiff, verrucose hairs, which are sometimes yellowish. Petioles are usually sparsely to densely strigose with stiff, verrucose hairs.

Both P. A. Rydberg (1908d) and B. C. Johnston (1980, 1985) restricted sect. Concinnae to species with palmate, abaxially cottony leaves. Given the unifying or transitional nature of other morphologic and biogeographic features, the circumscription presented here seems more justified.

P. A. Rydberg (1908d) included New Mexico in the distribution of the otherwise Mexican species Potentilla oblanceolata Rydberg, repeated in subsequent floras (I. Tidestrom and T. Kittell 1941; W. C. Martin and C. R. Hutchins 1980). No specimens are currently known to confirm the presence of this species north of Mexico, and it is excluded here.

Since Potentilla breweri (sect. Multijugae) is sometimes identified as a member of sect. Concinnae, it is included herein and keys out in the ninth couplet.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Potentilla angelliae, Potentilla bicrenata, Potentilla concinna, Potentilla johnstonii, Potentilla macounii, Potentilla morefieldii, Potentilla multisecta, Potentilla sierrae-blancae

Key

1	Leaflet abaxial surfaces: cottony hairs absent	> 2
1	Leaflet abaxial surfaces: cottony hairs sparse to dense	> 4
2	Teeth 2–5 per side on distal 1/2+ of central leaflets, 3–10(–14) mm.	Potentilla multisecta
2	Teeth 1(–3) per side on distal 1/4 or less of central leaflets, 1–2(–4) mm	> 3
3	Leaflets (3–)5–7(–9), straight hairs sparse to common; inflorescences 4–11-flowered; Nevada.	Potentilla johnstonii
3	Leaflets (3–)4–5, straight hairs mostly absent (except on margins); inflorescences 1–3-flowered; New Mexico.	Potentilla sierrae-blancae
4	Leaves palmate, leaflets on tip or at least less than distal 1/10 of leaf axis	> 5
4	Leaves subpalmate to pinnate, leaflets on distal (1/10–)1/5–3/4+ of leaf axis	> 6
5	Central leaflets: teeth (1–)2–5(–10) per side on distal 1/4 to whole margins.	Potentilla concinna
5	Central leaflets: teeth 0–1(–3) per side on less than distal 1/5(–1/3) of margins.	Potentilla bicrenata
6	Leaflets 5(–7) on distal (1/10–)1/5–1/4 of leaf axis, usually only 1 pair of leaflets separate from terminal leaflets	> 7
6	Leaflets 5–9(–11) on distal 1/5–3/4+ of leaf axis, usually at least 2 pairs of leaflets separate from terminal leaflets	> 8
7	Central leaflets: teeth 2–5(–6) per side on distal 1/3 to whole margins.	Potentilla concinna
7	Central leaflets: teeth (0–)1(–2) per side on distal 1/4(–1/3) or less of margins.	Potentilla angelliae
8	Leaflets on distal 1/5–1/2 of leaf axis; Alberta, Montana.	Potentilla macounii
8	Leaflets on distal (1/4–)1/2–3/4+ of leaf axis; California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington	> 9
9	Leaflet surfaces ± similar, adaxial: cottony hairs sparse to dense, straight hairs soft; Sierra Nevada, Cascade Range, and n Great Basin.	Potentilla breweri (sect. Multijugae)
9	Leaflet surfaces ± to strongly dissimilar, adaxial: cottony hairs absent, straight hairs stiff; White Mountains and adjacent Sierra Nevada, California.	Potentilla morefieldii