[The Rose Family East of the Cascades of Oregon and Washington]
Creeping Sibbaldia, Sibbaldia
Sibbaldia procumbens
Synonyms: Potentilla procumbens, Potentilla sibbaldii
Creeping sibbaldia as seen from an area where the snow lays late into mid summer along the North Loop Road, about one-half mile downhill from the Kiger Gorge Overlook, Steens Mountain, Harney County, Oregon........August 31, 2011.
Close-up
of the leaf of Sibbaldia from a specimen on the Frances Lake Trail, Eagle Cap
Wilderness......July 25, 1997. Note the wispy hairs on the upper leaf surface.
Characteristics:
Sibbaldia is
a low, perennial herb with spreading to erect stems from 4-8 cm high. It is
mat-forming as the rhizomes and stems spread. The herbage is covered with numerous
flat-lying hairs. Most of the leaves arise in an alternating pattern from the
horizontal stems. Individual leaves are ternate (3 leaflets) and have slender
petioles and wedge-shaped leaflets at the base and squared tips with 3-5 teeth.
The leaflets range from 1-3 cm long.
The flowering stems are 4-8 cm tall and leafless below the 2-15
flowered cyme (flat-topped cluster). The calyx lobes are 2.5-3.5 mm long and
ascending. The 5 petals are oval to spatulate in shape and about half the length
of the sepals. The 5 sepals alternate with and are shorter than the petals.
Habitat:
Sibbaldia is found on dry to moist slopes and meadows in subalpine
and alpine habitats.
Range:
Sibbaldia is found from the Arctic south to southern California,
Utah, Colorado, Quebec, and New Hampshire.
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Creeping sibbaldia as seen from an area where the snow lays late into mid summer along the North Loop Road, about one-half mile downhill from the Kiger Gorge Overlook, Steens Mountain, Harney County, Oregon..............August 31, 2011.
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Examples of creeping sibbaldia as seen at about 7700' on the south side of Strawberry Mountain, Strawberry Mountain Wilderness...............August 3, 2011.
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Creeping sibbaldia as seen along the South Loop Road about one mile downhill to the west of the East Rim Viewpoint, Steens Mountain..........July 9, 2014.
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A close-up of the leaves as seen
at left along the South Loop Road about one mile downhill to the west of the East Rim Viewpoint, Steens Mountain..........July 9, 2014. The photo at right shows creeping sibbaldia as seen along the trail between Fish Lake and Sugarloaf Mountain, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.......August 13, 2018.
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Creeping sibbaldia blooming at left along the Deadman Canyon Trail #1869 near meadows at the outlet of Sugarloaf Reservoir, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest......July 18, 2019. The photo at right shows creeping sibbaldia blooming along the Skyline Trail #385 uphill to the west of High Lake, Strawberry Mountain Wilderness.......July 8, 2023.
Paul Slichter