Potentilla pulcherrima, front side, June 16, 2020
P. pulcherrima, back side
Potentilla hippiana, frontside, June 16, 2020
P. hippiana, backside
P. gracilis, July 17, 2020
Common & scientific names
Cinquefoils, Potentilla sp., (1) pulcherrima, (2) hippiana, (3) nivea, (4) subjuga, (5) rubricaulis
Family
Rose, Rosaceae
Location
First two Difficult Trail, 8,000’, second three summit, 12,100’
Fun, weird, helpful, or little known facts
OK, now we’re getting into the nitty gritty. Cinquefoils all have basically the same-looking flower (except P. arguta, which is white), therefore everything depends on their leaves and their location/elevation, and I am lumping them here to aid comparison.
P. pulcherrima and hippiana are abundant throughout our area at lower elevations (never alpine). As you’ll see in the photos, P. pulcherrima’s leaflets extend out from a single point, while P. hippiana’s have a distinct break between lower leaflets. They are both fuzzy-white-hairy on the “back” and green on the “front.”
The third, fourth, fifth, and sixth Cinquefoils were all found above treeline, with P. nivea hugging the ground in a fuzzy-white hairy mat, with three leaflets per leaf; P. subjuga being taller and greener, with 3-5 upper leaflets extending out from one point with 1-2 pairs of leaflets lower down on the petiole (the leaf stem); P. rubricaulis having 5 leaflets, somewhat hairy on back, and red, sprawling stems; P. gracilis having 7 palmate leaflets, slightly hairier on the backside than the front but not dramatic like P. pulcherrima or hippiana; and P. diversifolia being bluish-green on both sides, with teeth only in the upper half of the leaflet.
And if this isn’t confusing enough, wait: there’s more to come!
Potentilla nivea, June 23, 2020
Potentilla subjuga, June 23, 2020
P. gracilis, backside, July 17, 2020
Potentilla rubricaulis, June 23, 2020
P. diversifolia, July 13, 2020, lower Lost Man