[Cinquefoils: The Genera Comarum, Dasiphora, Drymocallis and Potentilla East of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington]

Brewer's Cinquefoil

Potentilla breweri

Synonyms: Potentilla breweri var. breweri, Potentilla breweri var. expansa, Potentilla breweri var. viridia, Potentilla drummondii, Potentilla drummondii ssp. breweri, Potentilla drummondii var. breweri

Brewer's cinquefoil as seen in the Wenatchee N.F..........July 29, 2009. Note the visibly gray foliage on both leaf surfaces.

Inflorescence of Brewer's Cinquefoil: Potentilla breweri (Synonyms: Potentilla breweri var. breweri, Potentilla breweri var. expansa, Potentilla drummondii, Potentilla drummondii ssp. breweri, Potentilla drummondii var. breweri)

The photo at right shows a close-up of the upper stem, bracts and calyx of Brewer's cinquefoil from along the South Loop Road, approximately 1 mile below its intersection with the North Loop Road on the Steens Mt., southeastern Oregon..........July 16, 2000. Very rare in Washington State, Brewer's cinquefoil is common along the summit ridge of the Steens Mountain.

Characteristics:

Brewer's cinquefoil is an attractive perennial with simple to slightly branched stems which are spreading to ascending. The herbage is usually grayish woolly, especially on the lower leaf surfaces. The leaves are usually grayish-white in appearance when held at arm's length. No glands are present. The basal leaves are pinnately compound with 9-11 crowded leaflets, although 7-15 may be present. Each leaflet is obovate-cuneate in shape and from 1-2 cm long. The leaflet meargins are deeply and unevenly cut into divergent, oblong lobes cut more than one-half the distance into the midvein. Two to three stem leaves may be present, and these are much reduced in size.

The inflorescence is an open cyme with several flowers. The hypanthium is saucer-shaped. The 5 yellow petals are obovate to obcordate in shape and longer than the sepals. There are 20 stamens and numerous pistils.

Brewer's cinquefoil is similar to, and often found amongst varying cinquefoil (Potentilla versicolor). Both species will form hybrids. The latter species has mature leaves which are sparsely haired to nearly glabrous. They will appear green at arm's length. The leaflets generally number more than 12 and are deeply and unevenly cut into linear to oblong lobes.

Habitat:

Brewer's cinquefoil may be found growing in moist meadows and along stream banks in alpine to midmontane habtiats.

Range:

Brewer's cinquefoil may be found from the northern Oregon Cascades south through the Siskiyou Mts. to the Sierra Nevada of California and east to southeastern Oregon and central Nevada.

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These 6 photos show close-up views of the flowers and leaves of Brewer's cinquefoil as seen oin the Wenatchee N.F.................July 25, 2009.

Brewer's cinquefoil from along the South Loop Road, approximately 1 mile below its intersection with the North Loop Road on the Steens Mountain, Harney County, Oregon.........September 2, 2011.

The basal leaves of Brewer's cinquefoil as seen along the summit ridge between the East Rim Viewpoint and Steens Mountain summit, Harney County, Oregon........September 1, 2011.

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Brewer's cinquefoil blooming in vernally moist swales immediately below the Fremont National Recreation Trail #160 at Hank's Spring, northwest corner of Twelvemile Peak, Fremont-Winema National Forest.........July 16, 2022.

Brewer's cinquefoil from the Steens Mt. in southeastern Oregon. -

Brewer's cinquefoil as seen at left along the South Loop Road, approximately 1 mile below its intersection with the North Loop Road on the Steens Mt., southeastern Oregon..........July 16, 2000. The photo at right shows Brewer's cinquefoil as seen along the Fremont National Recreation Trail adjacent to Hank's Spring, on the northwestern slopes of Twelvemile Peak, Fremont-Winema National Forest.....August 2, 2020.

Flower of Brewer's Cinquefoil: Potentilla breweri (Synonyms: Potentilla breweri var. breweri, Potentilla breweri var. expansa, Potentilla drummondii, Potentilla drummondii ssp. breweri, Potentilla drummondii var. breweri)

Leaf of Brewer's Cinquefoil: Potentilla breweri (Synonyms: Potentilla breweri var. breweri, Potentilla breweri var. expansa, Potentilla drummondii, Potentilla drummondii ssp. breweri, Potentilla drummondii var. breweri)

Above, find close-ups of the flower and underside of a leaf of Brewer's cinquefoil, seen along the South Loop Road, approximately 1 mile below its intersection with the North Loop Road on the Steens Mt., southeastern Oregon..........July 16, 2000. Note the numerous, grayish-white silky, villous hairs on the leaf and the clumps of leaflets which diverge from one spot.

Paul Slichter