Potentilla breweri is a species of Potentilla known by the common name Brewer's cinquefoil.
| Potentilla breweri | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Rosaceae |
| Genus: | Potentilla |
| Species: | P. breweri
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| Binomial name | |
| Potentilla breweri Egger & S. Malaby
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| Synonyms[2] | |
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It is native to western North America, with populations scattered from southern Washington to south-central California and from the Pacific cordillera inland to the mountains of the Great Basin. Its greatest population density occurs in the Sierra Nevada, the high Cascade Ranges, and Steens Mountain.[2]
Description
editP. breweri is a herbaceous perennial or near-subshrub growing from a sturdy, branched woody caudex. Its leaves are pinnately compound and covered in soft, tangled, woolly hairs, giving them a more or less silver-blue color. The exact shape of the leaf and the degree of hairiness can vary substantially between early-season leaves and those produced later in the year. The inflorescences are cymose and usually bear 2-15 flowers. Like most Potentilla species, its flowers have five bright yellow petals, 15 stamens, and numerous separate pistils, and are adapted for generalist pollination. Each flower produces a cluster of achenes if successfully pollinated.[2]
It is a taxonomically difficult species that appears to hybridize frequently with other Potentilla spp. The boundaries of the resulting species complex are poorly-understood.
Habitat and ecology
editThe plants are found in high-montane to subalpine meadow openings. They prefer seasonally-wet habitats with little competition for sunlight, such as rocky meadows and rock crevices, and are often found near lakes and streams. They range in altitude from 1,500 to 3,600 metres (4,900 to 11,800 ft).[2][3]
History
editThe P. breweri complex (P. breweri, P. drummondii, and P. bruceae) was one of the case studies used in Clausen, Keck, and Hiesey's biosystematic work.[4]
References
edit- ^ NatureServe Explorer: https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.1132504/Potentilla_breweri
- ^ a b c d Ertter, Barbara (2015). "Potentilla breweri". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico. Vol. 9. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195340297. Archived from the original on 2023-10-24. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
- ^ Ertter, Barbara (2012). "Potentilla". In Baldwin, Bruce B.; Goldman, Douglas H.; Keil, David J.; Patterson, Robert; Rosatti, Thomas J.; Wilken, Dieter H. (eds.). The Jepson manual: vascular plants of California (2nd ed.). University of California Press. p. 1191-1195.
- ^ Clausen, Jens; Keck, D.D.; Hiesey, William (1941). Experimental Studies on the Nature of Species. Vol. I. Effect of Varied Environments on Western North American Plants. Carnegie Institute of Washington. p. 452. ISBN 9780608062204.
External links
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Media related to Potentilla drummondii subsp. breweri at Wikimedia Commons- Jepson eFlora treatment
- Flora of North America treatment (alternate site)
- CalPhotos image gallery
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