Potentilla robbinsiana — Robbins' cinquefoil
![Plant form: Potentilla robbinsiana. ~ By Mary Walker. ~ Copyright © 2024 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Rosaceae/potentilla-robbinsiana-ha-mwalker.jpg)
![Plant form: Potentilla robbinsiana. ~ By Mary Walker. ~ Copyright © 2024 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Rosaceae/potentilla-robbinsiana-ha-mwalker-b.jpg)
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Facts
Robbins' cinquefoil is a dwarf alpine perennial endemic to high elevations in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Once close to extinction, success in moderating impacts by rerouting hiking trails and augmenting populations has resulted in improved prospects for this species. This tiny but long-lived plant remains a symbol of the problems with over-collection (for museum specimens) and over-use (by recreational hikers).
Habitat
Alpine or subalpine zones
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
- New Hampshire
- Flower petal color
- yellow
- Leaf type
- the leaves are compound (made up of two or more discrete leaflets
- Leaf arrangement
-
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- basal: the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Flower symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
- Number of sepals, petals or tepals
- there are five petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- Fusion of sepals and petals
- both the petals and sepals are separate and not fused
- Stamen number
- 13 or more
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry but does not split open when ripe
- Fruit length
- 1–1.3 mm
-
Clonal plantlets
- Bulbils
- the plant does not appear to have bulbils
- Bulblets replace flowers
- there are no bulblets where the flowers are located
-
Flowers
- Anther opening
- the anthers have narrow slits or furrows that run lengthwise along the anthers
- Anther spurs
- the anthers do not have spurs on them
- Calyx symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the calyx (the calyx is radially symmetrical)
- Carpels fused
- the carpel is solitary or (if 2 or more) the carpels are not fused to one another
- Cleistogamous flowers
- there are no cleistogamous flowers on the plan
- Corolla morphology
- NA
- Corolla palate
- no
- Corona lobe length
- 0 mm
- Epicalyx
- the flower has an epicalyx
- Epicalyx number of parts
- 5
- Filament surface
- the filament is smooth, with no hairs or scales
- Flower description
- the flower has a superior ovary and a hypanthium
- Flower petal color
- yellow
- Flower symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
- Flowers sunken into stem
- no
- Form of style
- the style is narrow at the tip and unbranched
- Fused stamen clusters
- NA
- Fusion of sepals and petals
- both the petals and sepals are separate and not fused
- Horns in hoods (Asclepias)
- NA
- Hypanthium
- the flower has a hypanthium
- Inflorescence one-sided
- the flowers are arrayed in a spiral around the inflorescence axis or branches, or occur singly, or in several ranks
- Inner tepals (Rumex)
- NA
- Nectar spur
- the flower has no nectar spurs
- Number of pistils
- 6 or more
- Number of sepals, petals or tepals
- there are five petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- Number of styles
- 1
- Ovary position
- the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment
- Petal and sepal arrangement
- the flower includes two cycles of petal- or sepal-like structures
- Petal and sepal colors
- yellow
- Petal appearance
- the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)
- Petal folds or pleats
- the petals of the flower do not have folds or plaits
- Petal hairs (Viola)
- NA
- Petal number
- 5
- Petal tips (Cuscuta)
- NA
- Reproductive system
- all the flowers have both carpels and stamens (synoecious)
- Scales inside corolla
- no
- Sepal and petal color
- the sepals are different from the petals
- Sepal appendages
- the sepals do not have appendages on them
- Sepal appendages (Oenothera)
- NA
- Sepal number
- 5
- Stamen attachment
- the stamens are attached at or near the bases of the petals or tepals
- Stamen number
- 13 or more
- Stamen position relative to petals
- NA
- Staminodes
- there are no staminodes on the flower
- Umbel flower reproductive parts
- NA
- Upper lip of bilabiate corolla
- NA
-
Fruits or seeds
- Achene surface (Polygonum)
- NA
- Achene type
- the fruit is an achene (dry, indehiscent, and usually one-seeded)
- Berry color
- NA
- Capsule color (Viola)
- NA
- Capsule ribs
- NA
- Capsule splitting
- NA
- Fruit (pyxis) dehiscence
- NA
- Fruit features (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Fruit length
- 1–1.3 mm
- Fruit locules
- one
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry but does not split open when ripe
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is an achene (dry, usually one-seeded, does not separate or split open at maturity)
- Legumes (Fabaceae)
- NA
- Mericarp length
- 0 mm
- Mericarp segment shape (Desmodium)
- NA
- Other markings on berry
- NA
- Placenta arrangement
- marginal
- Rows of seeds in fruit (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Schizocarpic fruit compression
- NA
- Schizocarpic fruit segments
- 0
- Septum in fruit (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- prickles on fruits
- the fruits do not have thorn-like defensive structures
-
Glands or sap
- Glands on leaf blade
- the leaf blades do not have glandular dots or scales
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
- Sap color
- the sap is clear
-
Growth form
- Lifespan
- the plant lives more than two years
- Parasitism
- the plant is not parasitic
- Plant color
- the leaves or young stems of the plant are green
- Plants darken when dry
- no
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
-
Leaves
- Bracteole number (Apiaceae)
- 0
- Bracts in plantain (Plantago)
- NA
- Hairs on underside of leaf
-
- the underside of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- the underside of the leaf is not hairy, or it has very few hairs
- Leaf arrangement
-
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- basal: the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant
- Leaf blade base
- the leaf has a distinct leaf stalk (petiole)
- Leaf blade base shape
- the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Leaf blade length
- 5–13 mm
- Leaf blade shape
- the leaf blade is obovate (egg-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)
- Leaf blade surface colors
- the upper side of the leaf blade is relatively uniform in color
- Leaf duration
- the leaves drop off in winter (or they whither but persist on the plant)
- Leaf form
- the leaves are green, with an expanded blade and a leaf-like texture
- Leaf spines
- there are no spines on the leaf edges
- Leaf type
- the leaves are compound (made up of two or more discrete leaflets
- Leaf variation
- the leaves are nearly similar in size, prominence of teeth, and length of stalks throughout the stem
- Leaflet number
- 3
- Leaves per node
- the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant (i.e., basal)
- Specific leaf type
- the leaf has lobes that radiate from the base, somewhat like a hand
- Stipels
- there are no stipels at the bases of the petiolules
- Stipule features
- NA
- Stipules
- the plant has stipules
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
- New Hampshire
- Specific habitat
- alpine or subalpine zones
-
Scent
- Plant odor
- the plant does not have much of a smell
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Branched tendrils
- NA
- Flowering stem cross-section
-
- NA
- the flowering stem is circular, or with lots of small angles so that it is roughly circular
- Hair between stem nodes
-
- the stem has hairs between the nodes
- the stem has no hairs between the nodes
- Hooked hairs on stem between nodes
- no
- Plant height
- 1–4 cm
- Tendril origin
- NA
- Tendrils
- the plant does not have tendrils
Wetland status
Not classified
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- absent
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- absent
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- absent
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- New Hampshire
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), endangered (code: E)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
16. Potentilla robbinsiana Oakes ex Rydb. NC
Robbins’ cinquefoil. Potentilla hyparctica Malte ssp. robbinsiana (Oakes ex Rydb.) A. & D. Löve • NH. Alpine plateaus.
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Potentilla verna:
- flowering stems up to 10 cm tall, stipules linear to narrow-lanceolate, sharply pointed at the apex, and leaflets mostly 8–35 mm long (vs. P. robbinsiana, with flowering stems, 1–4 cm tall, stipules ovate, blunt to abruptly pointed at the apex, and leaflets 5–13 mm long).
Synonyms
- Potentilla hyparctica Malte ssp. robbinsiana (Oakes ex Rydb.) A. & D. Löve