Jepson eFlora: Taxon page
Vascular Plants of California
Key to families | Table of families and genera
Previous taxon Index to accepted names and synonyms:
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M |
| N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
Next taxon


Potentilla gracilis
SLENDER CINQUEFOIL


Higher Taxonomy
Family: RosaceaeView DescriptionDichotomous Key
Common Name: ROSE FAMILY
Habit: Annual to tree, glandular or not. Leaf: simple to palmately or pinnately compound, generally alternate; stipules free to fused (0), persistent to deciduous. Inflorescence: cyme, raceme, panicle, cluster, or flowers 1; bractlets on pedicel ("pedicel bractlets") generally 0--3(many), subtended by bract or generally not. Flower: generally bisexual, radial; hypanthium free or fused to ovary, saucer- to funnel-shaped, subtending bractlets ("hypanthium bractlets") 0--5, alternate sepals; sepals generally 5; petals generally 5, free; stamens (0,1)5--many, anther pollen sacs generally 2; pistils (0)1--many, simple or compound, ovary superior to inferior, styles 1--5. Fruit: 1--many per flower, achene (fleshy-coated or not), follicle, drupe, or pome with generally papery core, occasionally drupe-like with 1--5 stones. Seed: generally 1--5 (per fruit, not per flower).
Genera In Family: 110 genera, +- 3000 species: worldwide, especially temperate; many cultivated for ornament, fruit, especially Cotoneaster, Fragaria, Malus, Prunus, Pyracantha, Rosa, Rubus. Note: Number of teeth is per leaf or leaflet, not per side of leaf or leaflet, except in Drymocallis.
eFlora Treatment Author: Daniel Potter & Barbara Ertter, family description, key to genera, treatment of genera by Daniel Potter, except as noted
Scientific Editor: Daniel Potter, Thomas J. Rosatti.
Genus: PotentillaView DescriptionDichotomous Key


Common Name: CINQUEFOIL
Habit: Annual to perennial herb; odor generally 0. Leaf: generally basal, odd-1-pinnately, 1-palmately, or 1-ternately compound; leaflets 1--8(13) per side, +- toothed, generally +- separated, terminal generally +- = lateral; margins generally flat. Inflorescence: generally cyme, generally +- open; pedicels generally +- straight, bractlets 0. Flower: hypanthium +- shallow, bractlets generally 5, generally < sepals, generally flat; sepals +- triangular; petals (2)4--20 mm, >= sepals, generally +- widely obcordate, generally yellow; stamens 10--25; pistils generally > 10, ovaries superior, styles slender to +- tapering, generally attached near fruit tip. Fruit: achene, generally glabrous.
Etymology: (Latin: diminutive of powerful, for reputed medicinal value) Note: Other taxa in TJM (1993) moved to Comarum, Dasiphora, Drymocallis.
eFlora Treatment Author: Barbara Ertter
Potentilla gracilis Hook.
NATIVE
Habit: Plant tufted from short, thick rhizome; glands generally 0 or hidden. Stem: +- ascending, strigose to spreading-hairy. Leaf: palmate; basal generally 6--30 cm, leaflets 5--9, +- oblanceolate, +- evenly 13--23-toothed. Inflorescence: few- to many-flowered. Flower: hypanthium generally 3--5 mm wide; filaments 1.5--2.5 mm, anthers 0.6--1.6 mm; styles 1.5--2 mm, slender. Fruit: 1--1.5 mm, +- smooth, light brown.
Note: Variation complex; many plants assignable to the following varieties.
Jepson eFlora Author: Barbara Ertter
Index of California Plant Names (ICPN; linked via the Jepson Online Interchange)

Previous taxon: Potentilla glaucophylla var. glaucophylla
Next taxon: Potentilla gracilis var. elmeri

Name Search

Please use this Google Form for Contact/Feedback

Citation for this treatment: Barbara Ertter 2012, Potentilla gracilis, in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=39719, accessed on April 16, 2024.

Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) 2024, Jepson eFlora, https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/, accessed on April 16, 2024.

Potentilla gracilis  
var. gracilis
click for enlargement
©2008 Keir Morse
Potentilla gracilis  
var. gracilis
click for enlargement
©2016 Keir Morse
Potentilla gracilis  
var. elmeri
click for enlargement
©2009 Barry Breckling
Potentilla gracilis  
var. fastigiata
click for enlargement
©2009 Barry Breckling
Potentilla gracilis  
var. elmeri
click for enlargement
©2019 Neal Kramer

More photos of Potentilla gracilis
in CalPhotos



Geographic subdivisions for Potentilla gracilis:
MAP CONTROLS
1. You can change the display of the base map layer control box in the upper right-hand corner.
2. County and Jepson Region polygons can be turned off and on using the check boxes.
map of distribution 1
(Note: any qualifiers in the taxon distribution description, such as 'northern', 'southern', 'adjacent' etc., are not reflected in the map above, and in some cases indication of a taxon in a subdivision is based on a single collection or author-verified occurence).





 

Data provided by the participants of the  Consortium of California Herbaria.
MAP LEGEND
View all CCH records
All markers link to CCH specimen records. The original determination is shown in the popup window.
Blue markers indicate specimens that map to one of the expected Jepson geographic subdivisions (see left map). Purple markers indicate specimens collected from a garden, greenhouse, or other non-wild location.
Yellow markers indicate records that may provide evidence for eFlora range revision or may have georeferencing or identification issues.
READ ABOUT YELLOW FLAGS


CCH collections by month

Duplicates counted once; synonyms included.
Species do not include records of infraspecific taxa, if there are more than 1 infraspecific taxon in CA.
Blue line denotes eFlora flowering time (fruiting time in some monocot genera).