Potentilla glaucophylla Lehm. var. glaucophylla
blue-leaved cinquefoil
Rosaceae (Rose family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Hans Roemer     (Photo ID #25715)


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Potentilla glaucophylla var. glaucophylla
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Species Information

General:
Perennial herb from a short stout rhizome and branched stem-base; stems slender, usually several, tufted, spreading to erect, 10-40 cm tall, smooth toward the base, appressed-hairy above.
Leaves:
Basal leaves long-stalked, palmately or pinnately compound; leaflets 5 to 7, oblong-lanceolate to egg-shaped, 1-3 (5) cm long, strongly toothed mostly above the middle, greenish or often glaucous blue-green and smooth to slightly hairy on the upper surface, generally appressed-hairy beneath; stem leaves alternate, 1 or 2.
Flowers:
Inflorescence an open terminal cluster of few to several (less than 20) stalked flowers; corollas yellow, bowl-shaped, the petals 5, heart-shaped, 5-10 mm long, shallowly notched at the tip; calyces silky-long-hairy, 5-lobed, the lobes lance-triangular, 4-7 mm long, alternating with 5 shorter, narrowly lanceolate bractlets; ovaries superior; stamens 20.
Fruits:
Achenes, numerous, clustered, lopsided-egg-shaped, about 1.5 mm long, brown, smooth to faintly net-veined.
Notes:
Two varieties occur in BC. These varieties appear to hybridize freely in SE BC, where numerous intermediates occur.

1. Leaves primarily palmately compound; leaflets deeply toothed; the common variety...................... var. diversifolia

1. Leaves more or less pinnately compound; leaflets dissected to base; plants of SE and SC BC, rare....................... var. perdissecta (Rydb.) C.L. Hitchc.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Habitat and Range

Mesic to dry meadows, tundra, rocky slopes, gravel bars, grasslands and open forests in the montane to alpine zones; common throughout BC, except rare on the coast; N to S AK and YT; E to SK and S to UT, NM and CA.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia