A pretty potentilla

Potentilla pulcherrima, June 20, 2023

Backside of leaf

Common & scientific names

Beautiful cinquefoil, Potentilla pulcherrima

Family

Rose, Rosaceae

Location

Difficult Trail, 8,200’

Fun, weird, helpful, or little known facts

Cinquefoils all have basically the same-looking yellow flowers (except P. arguta, which is white). With the cinquefoils, everything depends on their leaves and their location/elevation.

P. pulcherrima is abundant throughout our area at lower elevations (never alpine). As you’ll see in the photo, P. pulcherrima’s leaflets extend out from a single point. As seen in these photos, they are green on the “front” side and fuzzy-white-hairy on the “back”