Elegant Cinquefoil
Potentilla concinna
Rose family (Rosaceae)

Pretty Potentilla (Potentilla concinna) grows at 11,000 feet in rocky terrain and also grows in the Pines of the foothills and mountains. At 11,000 feet the plant occurs in small tufts to seven inches across and three inches high. It is a bit larger at lower elevations. It begins blooming in early spring before leaves are mature. Leaves often curl, are densely hairy on the back and darker green and sparsely hairy on top, and have smooth sides and three teeth on the tip.

Richardson named the species P. concinna in 1823 from a specimen he collected "on the plains of the Saskatchawan" on the Franklin Expedition of 1819-1821. "Concinna" is Latin for "neat, elegant." Potentilla are very difficult to identify to the exact species because they share so many characteristics and they also hybridize. It is a pleasure then to look at a species in our area so clearly different: P. pensylvanica has pinnately compound leaves; P. concinna has palmately compound leaves. The former has an upright growth habit and the latter reclines.

Description

Perennial herbs from thick woody rootstocks with stems reclining to ascending, to 4" tall. Leaves mainly basal, palmately divided in mostly 5-7 leaflets, obovate to oblanceolate, toothed only at apex or along the length, often folded, not markedly bicolored, hairy beneath, hairy to smooth above. Flowers showy with yellow petals 1/8 to 1/3" long. Achenes numerous.

Field Marks

Flowers before leaves, often folded hairy leaves, yellow flowers.

© Al Schneider