Potentilla cottamii
Encyclopedia
Potentilla cottamii is a rare species of flowering plant in the rose family
known by the common names Cottam's cinquefoil and Pilot Range cinquefoil. It is native to Nevada
and Utah
in the United States. It occurs in the Pilot Range
of Elko County, Nevada
, and a small area of adjacent Utah
.
This plant was first described in 1987. It is a perennial herb which forms a mat of leafy herbage around its caudex
. The leaves are each divided into three toothed leaflets. The flowers often have five petals, but sometimes only four. They are oval or somewhat triangular in shape, 3 or 4 millimeters long, and yellow in color. At the center of the flower are 15 yellow stamen
s.
This plant grows in cracks and crevices in rock walls and cliffs.
Rosaceae
Rosaceae are a medium-sized family of flowering plants, including about 2830 species in 95 genera. The name is derived from the type genus Rosa. Among the largest genera are Alchemilla , Sorbus , Crataegus , Cotoneaster , and Rubus...
known by the common names Cottam's cinquefoil and Pilot Range cinquefoil. It is native to Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
and Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
in the United States. It occurs in the Pilot Range
Pilot Range
The Pilot Range is a mountain range located in Box Elder County, Utah and Elko County, Nevada, in the Great Basin region, near the northwest side of The Great Salt Lake....
of Elko County, Nevada
Elko County, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 45,291 people, 15,638 households, and 11,493 families residing in the county. The population density was 3/sq mi . There were 18,456 housing units at an average density of 1/sq mi...
, and a small area of adjacent Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
.
This plant was first described in 1987. It is a perennial herb which forms a mat of leafy herbage around its caudex
Caudex
A caudex is a form of stem morphology appearing as a thickened, short, perennial stem that is either underground or near ground level . It may be swollen for the purpose of water storage, especially in xerophytes...
. The leaves are each divided into three toothed leaflets. The flowers often have five petals, but sometimes only four. They are oval or somewhat triangular in shape, 3 or 4 millimeters long, and yellow in color. At the center of the flower are 15 yellow stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s.
This plant grows in cracks and crevices in rock walls and cliffs.