The photo above shows fanleaf cinquefoil as
seen at about 5800' in moist meadows along the Highline Trail #114 just below
(northwest of) Foggy Flats on the northern slopes of Mt. Adams.......July
11, 2005.
Photo at
right of Potentilla flabellifolia from the meadow at the west end of
Todd Lake in the Deschutes N.F......August 16, 1992. Note the notch in the tip
of each petal.
Fan-leaf cinquefoil is an attractive perennial which forms large clumps of erect to spreading stems from 15-30 cm long. The basal leaves are numerous and these have long petioles with 3 obovate leaflets from 1.5-2.5 cm long. The margins of the leaflets are deeply toothed, and these may have smaller secondary teeth on them. There are usually only one or two smaller leaves on the stem. The upper surfaces of the leaves are often bright green.
The inflorescence is leafy-bracteate cyme of several flowers. The flowers are bright yellow and about 2.5 cm across with 5 obcordate-shaped petals which are up to 10 mm in length. The petals are notched at the tips as seen in the photos and they are longer than the sepals.. The calyx is saucer-shaped and has 5 lobed, sepal-like bracts. The pistils are numerous and there are about 20 stamens.
Fan-leaf cinquefoil may be found on moist meadows and streambanks on subalpine to alpine slopes in the mountains.
Photo
at right of fan-leaf cinquefoil from Paddy Go Easy Pass in the Alpine Lakes
Wilderness.......July 24, 1996.
Fan-leaf cinquefoil from British Columbia south through the Cascades and Olympics to the Sierra Nevada of California. It may be found eastward through British Columbia to the Rocky Mts. of southeastern Alberta and south through the mountains of Montana and Idaho, and also in the Blue and Wallowa Mts. Of north central and northeastern Oregon.
Potentilla flabellifolia from the Vista Ridge Trail in the Mt. Hood Wilderness......July 22, 1990.