''Potentilla cristae'' is a rare species of
cinquefoil known by the common name crested cinquefoil. It is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to the
Klamath Mountains of far northern
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, where it is known from a few occurrences in the
subalpine and
alpine climate
Alpine climate is the typical weather (climate) for elevations above the tree line, where trees fail to grow due to cold. This climate is also referred to as a mountain climate or highland climate.
Definition
There are multiple definitions of ...
s of the high mountain ridges. It grows in
talus and moist rocky or gravelly
serpentine soil
Serpentine soil is an uncommon soil type produced by weathered ultramafic rock such as peridotite and its metamorphic derivatives such as serpentinite. More precisely, serpentine soil contains minerals of the serpentine subgroup, especially anti ...
s. This is a low, matted plant producing a clump of hairy, glandular herbage up to about 20 centimeters tall. Each hairy leaf is divided into three rounded leaflets which are toothed or lobed and measure up to 2 centimeters in length. The
inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...
is a cyme of a few flowers, each with five small yellow petals. The fruit is a minute
achene
An achene (; ), also sometimes called akene and occasionally achenium or achenocarp, is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate (formed from one carpel) and indehiscent (they do not ope ...
just a millimeter wide, which is smooth with a crest.
Further reading
*
References
External links
Jepson Manual TreatmentPhoto gallery
cristae
Endemic flora of California
Plants described in 1990
{{Rosaceae-stub