northwest cinquefoil

(Potentilla gracilis var. fastigiata)

Conservation Status

 

No image available

 
  IUCN Red List

not listed

     
  NatureServe

N5 - Secure

SNR - Unranked

     
  Minnesota

not listed

     
           
Wetland Indicator Status
     
  Great Plains

FAC - Facultative

     
  Midwest

FAC - Facultative

     
  Northcentral & Northeast

FAC - Facultative

     
           
 
Description
 
 

Northwest cinquefoil is a 8 to 24 tall, erect, perennial forb that rises on usually several stems from a thick, branched caudex.

The stems are erect or ascending, stout, and covered with spreading to appressed hairs.

Most of the leaves are basal. Basal leaves are on long, hairy stalks. The are palmately divided into 5, 7, or 9 leaflets. The leaflets are ¾ to 4¾ long, though usually 1 to 3 long, and inversely lance-shaped or narrowly inversely egg-shaped with the attachment at the narrow end. The central leaflet of the basal leaf is ¾ to 2 long. The upper and lower leaf surfaces are densely covered with white, short, matted or tangled, woolly hairs. Neither surface has glandular hairs. The margins are deeply toothed around the entire margin, including near the base. The teeth are narrow, cut less than ½ of the way to the midrib. The margins of these teeth/lobes are somewhat rolled backward toward the underside. Stem leaves are few, often just 1 or 2, alternate, and similar to the basal leaves, but smaller and often with only 3 leaflets.

The inflorescence is a flattened, open, branched cluster of many flowers at the end of the stem.

The flowers are ½ to ¾ wide. The 5 petals are yellow; to ¼ long; inversely heart-shaped, broadest at the tip with two rounded lobes separated by a broad notch; and tapering to a narrow, wedge-shaped base. The 5 sepals are green, almost as long as the petals and alternate with the petals. The 5 bractlets are much shorter than the sepals when the flower is fully open. They alternate with the sepals and are hidden below the petals when the flower is viewed from above. There are 20 yellow stamens. There is no floral scent.

 
     
 

Height

 
 

8 to 24

 
     
 

Flower Color

 
 

Yellow

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
 

Fanleaf cinquefoil (Potentilla gracilis var. fastigiata) is a taller plant, usually 20 to 40 in height. The stems are covered with generally appressed hairs. The central leaflet of the basal leaf is longer, 2 to 3½ long. The upper surface of the leaf is green and sparsely hairy. The teeth are cut more than ¾ of the way to the midrib. The petals are longer; ¼ to long.

Graceful cinquefoil (Potentilla gracilis var. gracilis) is a slighty taller plant, usually 16 to 36 in height. The stems are covered with generally spreading hairs. The central leaflet of the basal leaf is somewhat longer, 1¼ to 2¾ long. The upper surface of the leaf is green and sparsely hairy. The teeth are cut about ½ of the way to the midrib. The petals are longer; ¼ to long.

 
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Dry to moist. Prairies, woods.

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Flowering

 
 

July to August

 
     
 

Pests and Diseases

 
 

 

 
     
 
Use
 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

3, 4, 28, 29, 30.

USDA PLANTS shows this variety native to Minnesota, however no records can be found.

 
  4/16/2023      
         
 

Nativity

 
 

Native

 
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

 

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Kingdom Plantae (green algae and land plants)  
  Subkingdom Viridiplantae (green plants)  
  Infrakingdom Streptophyta (land plants and green algae)  
  Superdivision Embryophyta (land plants)  
  Division Tracheophyta (vascular plants)  
  Subdivision Spermatophytina (seed plants)  
  Class Magnoliopsida (flowering plants)  
  Superorder Rosanae  
 

Order

Rosales (roses, elms, figs, and allies)  
 

Family

Rosaceae (rose)  
  Subfamily Rosoideae (brambles, roses, strawberries, and allies)  
  Tribe Potentilleae (strawberries, cinquefoils, and allies)  
  Subtribe Potentillinae (cinquefoil)  
 

Genus

Potentilla (cinquefoils)  
  Species Potentilla gracilis (slender cinquefoil)  
       
 

Subordinate Taxa

 
 

 

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Potentilla alaskana

Potentilla angustata

Potentilla blasckeana

Potentilla blasckeana var. permollis

Potentilla brunnescens

Potentilla etomentosa

Potentilla etomentosa var. hallii

Potentilla fastigiata

Potentilla fastigiata var. jucunda

Potentilla fastigiata var. permollis

Potentilla glomerata

Potentilla gracilis ssp. nuttallii

Potentilla gracilis var. blasckeana

Potentilla gracilis var. brunnescens

Potentilla gracilis var. glabrata

Potentilla gracilis var. hallii

Potentilla gracilis var. nuttallii

Potentilla gracilis var. permollis

Potentilla gracilis var. rigida

Potentilla jucunda

Potentilla nuttallii

Potentilla permollis

Potentilla rectiformis

Potentilla viridescens

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

beautiful cinquefoil

fanleaf cinquefoil

Hall’s cinquefoil

northwest cinquefoil

Nuttall’s cinquefoil

slender cinquefoil

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Bract

Modified leaf at the base of a flower stalk, flower cluster, or inflorescence.

 

Bractlet

A small, often secondary bract within an inflorescence; a bract that is borne on a petiole instead of subtending it.

 

Caudex

A short, thickened, woody, persistent enlargement of the stem, at or below ground level, used for water storage.

 

Glandular hairs

Hairs spread over aerial vegetation that secrete essential oils. The oils act to protect against herbivores and pathogens or, when on a flower part, attract pollinators. The hairs have a sticky or oily feel.

 

Palmately divided

Similar to a hand. Having more than three lobes that radiate from a single point at the base of the leaf.

 

Sepal

An outer floral leaf, usually green but sometimes colored, at the base of a flower.

 
 
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