Drummond's cinquefoil is an attractive perennial which forms large clumps of erect to spreading stems from 25-45 cm long. The leaves and stems are covered with numerous short hairs and the leaves always appear green (rather than gray or silvery). The basal leaves are numerous and these have long petioles with 5-11 obovate leaflets from 1.5-2.5 cm long. The margins of the leaflets are deeply toothed as seen in the photos of the leaves below. The toothed margins are cut approximately one-half of the way into the mid vein. The upper 3 leaflets often overlap as seen in the photos below. Individual leaflets range from 10-50 mm long. There are usually only two or three smaller leaves on the stem.
The inflorescence is a leafy-bracteate cyme of 10-20 flowers. The calyx consists of a shallow saucer up to 1.5 cm wide with 5 sepals. The 5 petals are bright yellow and about 5-11 mm long and obovate to obcordate in shape. The petals are slightly notched at the tips and about twice as long as the sepals.. The pistils are numerous and there are about 20 stamens.
Drummond's cinquefoil may be found on rocky open slopes and in wet meadows in alpine and subalpine habitats.
Drummond's cinquefoil may be found from southern British Columbia and Alberta south through the Cascades and Olympics to the Sierra Nevada of northern California. Subspecies breweri (now classified as P. breweri) is also found on the Steens Mt. of southeastern Oregon.
In the Columbia River Gorge it may be found between the elevations of 3500'-4500' on the high peaks along the southern border of the Mark Hatfield Wilderness.
