[Cinquefoils: The Genera Comarum, Drymocallis and Potentilla in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington]

Greene's Drymocallis, Sticky Cinquefoil

Potentilla glandulosa ssp. glandulosa

Synonyms: Drymocallis glandulosa, Potentilla glandulosa ssp. typica, Potentilla glandulosa var. campanulata, Potentilla glandulosa var. glandulosa, Potentilla glandulosa var. incisa, Potentilla rhomboidea, Potentilla valida

Greene's Drymocallis, Sticky Cinquefoil: Potentilla glandulosa ssp. glandulosa (Synonyms: Drymocallis glandulosa, Potentilla glandulosa ssp. typica, Potentilla glandulosa var. campanulata, Potentilla glandulosa var. glandulosa, Potentilla glandulosa var. incisa, Potentilla rhomboidea, Potentilla valida)

The photo above shows a close-up of the flower of sticky cinquefoil (var. glandulosa) as seen on the Grassy Knoll Trail #146 at the trailhead............May 15, 2015. Note the petals which are shorter than to equal to the sepals in this varitey.

Close-up of the leafybracteate inflorescence of Greene's Drymocallis, Sticky Cinquefoil: Potentilla glandulosa ssp. glandulosa (Synonyms: Drymocallis glandulosa, Potentilla glandulosa ssp. typica, Potentilla glandulosa var. campanulata, Potentilla glandulosa var. glandulosa, Potentilla glandulosa var. incisa, Potentilla rhomboidea, Potentilla valida)The photo at right shows a close-up of the flower, buds and uppermost leaf of sticky cinquefoil (var. glandulosa) as seen on the Angels Rest Trail............May 12, 2005.
Characteristics:

As its name implies, sticky cinquefoil has glandular herbage with a sticky texture. It is a perennial with one to several spreading to erect stems from 15-70 cm high. The stems are typically unbranched below the inflorescence. The leaves are pinnately compound with 5-9 leaflets, all the lower ones opposite on the midvein and the terminal one single. The leaflets are 1-3 cm long and obovate or oblong-obovate in shape with single- or double-toothed margins. The stem leaves are much smaller and reduced in size upward on the stems.

The inflorescence is a few-flowered, open to dense cyme. The branches of the cyme vary from erect to spreading. A number of reduced to large, leaf-like bracts are found within the cyme. The petals vary from yellow-white to a deep yellow. The stamens usually number 25-40 and the pistils are numerous. Depending on the variety, the petals vary from much shorter than the sepals to much longer than the sepals.


Varieties from the Pacific Northwest:

1. Variety reflexa: Petals about 1 mm shorter than the sepals. Petals spreading to reflexed. Inflorescence often with reduced, nonleafy bracts. From Wasco County, Oregon sporadically south along the east side of the Cascades to northern California, where more common through the Sierra Nevada to southern California.

2. Variety glandulosa: Petals about equal in length to the sepals. Petals often ascending or erect. Inflorescence with leaf-like bracts. From southern British Columbia south to Baja California and east to eastern Washington, western Idaho, and northeastern Oregon.

3. Variety intermedia: Petals range from 0.5-1.5 mm longer than the sepals. Petals lemon to butter-yellow. Plants from 30-60 cm tall. Inflorescence with leafy bracts and few, usually erect branches. From the eastern foothills of the Cascades of Washington east (sporadically) to Idaho, northeastern Oregon, and Montana, Colorado, and northern Utah where it is more common.

4. Variety pseudorupestris: petals range from 0.5-1.5 mm longer than the sepals. Petals nearly white, to cream or light canary yellow. Plants often less than 3 dm tall. The inflorescence is often more open but seldom with leaf-like bracts. About the same range as variety intermedia.


Habitat:

Graceful cinquefoil may be found on moist soils in grasslands, meadows, and in the sagebrush desert, or in moist, open woodlands.


Range:

Sticky cinquefoil may be found from southwestern British Columbia south to northern Baja California, and eastward to Southwestern Alberta. There it may be found southward through the Rockies to Utah and Arizona.

In the Columbia River Gorge variety glandulosa may be found between the elevations of 100'-500' from Mosier, OR to about The Dalles, OR.. Variety intermedia may be found may be found between the elevations of 100'-4200' from the western entrance to the gorge east to about Lyle, WA.


Close-up of the petals and sepals of Greene's Drymocallis, Sticky Cinquefoil: Potentilla glandulosa ssp. glandulosa (Synonyms: Drymocallis glandulosa, Potentilla glandulosa ssp. typica, Potentilla glandulosa var. campanulata, Potentilla glandulosa var. glandulosa, Potentilla glandulosa var. incisa, Potentilla rhomboidea, Potentilla valida)

The photo above shows a close-up of the flower of sticky cinquefoil (var. glandulosa) as seen on the Angels Rest Trail.........May 12, 2005. Note the petals which are shorter than to equal to the sepals in this varitey.

Close-up of a flower of Greene's Drymocallis, Sticky Cinquefoil: Drymocallis glandulosa var. glandulosa (Synonyms: Drymocallis glandulosa, Potentilla glandulosa ssp. glandulosa, Potentilla glandulosa ssp. typica, Potentilla glandulosa var. glandulosa, Potentilla glandulosa var. incisa, Potentilla rhomboidea, Potentilla valida)

The photo above shows the large leafy bracts, flower buds and flower of sticky cinquefoil as seen at a DNR rock quarry abreast the ridgetop between the Dairy Creek and Cougar Creek drainages, Mt. Adams........May 29, 2005. Note that the petals are shorter than to equal to the sepals in length.

Greene's Drymocallis, Sticky Cinquefoil: Potentilla glandulosa ssp. glandulosa (Synonyms: Drymocallis glandulosa, Potentilla glandulosa ssp. typica, Potentilla glandulosa var. campanulata, Potentilla glandulosa var. glandulosa, Potentilla glandulosa var. incisa, Potentilla rhomboidea, Potentilla valida) - Flower of Greene's Drymocallis, Sticky Cinquefoil: Potentilla glandulosa ssp. glandulosa (Synonyms: Drymocallis glandulosa, Potentilla glandulosa ssp. typica, Potentilla glandulosa var. campanulata, Potentilla glandulosa var. glandulosa, Potentilla glandulosa var. incisa, Potentilla rhomboidea, Potentilla valida)

Sticky cinquefoil blooming in open, coniferous woods along Little Bowman Creek, Canyon Creek Trailhead, Klickitat Wildlife Area.........May 22, 2015. Note the large, leafy bract subtending each branch of the inflorescence and creamy petals that are roughly equal to , or slightly shorter than the sepals, both characteristics of this species.

Close-up of a flower and the distinctive leafy bracts of Greene's Drymocallis, Sticky Cinquefoil: Drymocallis glandulosa var. glandulosa (Synonyms: Drymocallis glandulosa, Potentilla glandulosa ssp. glandulosa, Potentilla glandulosa ssp. typica, Potentilla glandulosa var. glandulosa, Potentilla glandulosa var. incisa, Potentilla rhomboidea, Potentilla valida)

The photo above shows the large leafy bracts, flower buds and flower of sticky cinquefoil as seen at a DNR rock quarry abreast the ridgetop between the Dairy Creek and Cougar Creek drainages, Mt. Adams..........May 29, 2005. Note that the petals are shorter than to equal to the sepals in length.

Close-up of the sepals of Greene's Drymocallis, Sticky Cinquefoil: Drymocallis glandulosa var. glandulosa (Synonyms: Drymocallis glandulosa, Potentilla glandulosa ssp. glandulosa, Potentilla glandulosa ssp. typica, Potentilla glandulosa var. glandulosa, Potentilla glandulosa var. incisa, Potentilla rhomboidea, Potentilla valida)

The photo above shows numerous, gland-tipped hairs on the outer surface of the calyx of sticky cinquefoil as seen at a DNR rock quarry abreast the ridgetop between the Dairy Creek and Cougar Creek drainages, Mt. Adams..........May 29, 2005.

Greene's Drymocallis, Sticky Cinquefoil: Potentilla glandulosa ssp. glandulosa (Synonyms: Drymocallis glandulosa, Potentilla glandulosa ssp. typica, Potentilla glandulosa var. campanulata, Potentilla glandulosa var. glandulosa, Potentilla glandulosa var. incisa, Potentilla rhomboidea, Potentilla valida) - Greene's Drymocallis, Sticky Cinquefoil: Potentilla glandulosa ssp. glandulosa (Synonyms: Drymocallis glandulosa, Potentilla glandulosa ssp. typica, Potentilla glandulosa var. campanulata, Potentilla glandulosa var. glandulosa, Potentilla glandulosa var. incisa, Potentilla rhomboidea, Potentilla valida)

Close-ups of what appears to be sticky cinquefoil (var. glandulosa), although there is a chance this could be Nevada cinquefoil (var. nevadensis). Photographed on upland grasslands surrounding the wetlands at Panacanic, western Klickitat County..........May 17, 2013.

Greene's Drymocallis, Sticky Cinquefoil: Potentilla glandulosa ssp. glandulosa (Synonyms: Drymocallis glandulosa, Potentilla glandulosa ssp. typica, Potentilla glandulosa var. campanulata, Potentilla glandulosa var. glandulosa, Potentilla glandulosa var. incisa, Potentilla rhomboidea, Potentilla valida) - Inflorescence of Greene's Drymocallis, Sticky Cinquefoil: Potentilla glandulosa ssp. glandulosa (Synonyms: Drymocallis glandulosa, Potentilla glandulosa ssp. typica, Potentilla glandulosa var. campanulata, Potentilla glandulosa var. glandulosa, Potentilla glandulosa var. incisa, Potentilla rhomboidea, Potentilla valida)

Sticky cinquefoil (var. glandulosa) as seen atop Grassy Knoll, Gifford Pinchot National Forest..........June 3, 2014.

Paul Slichter