128 



ROSE FAMILY 



2. P. anserina L. Silver-weed. Leaves 6 to 18 in. long 

 including the petiole, green above, white-silky beneath; leaf- 

 lets 7 to 21, ^2 to 1 in. long, with smaller ones interposed, 

 oblong, sharply toothed. Flowers yellow, solitary on very 

 long pedicels. (Argentina anserina Rydb.) 



The Silver-weed inhabits marshy or springy places where 

 the stems creep along the ground, rooting at the joints and 

 sending up tufts of leaves and long, naked flowering stems. 

 It is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere. 



3. P. flabellifolia Hook. Leaves few, on petioles ^ to 4 

 in. long, chiefly basal, thin, obscurely pubescent; leaflets 3, 

 all sessile or nearly so, Yi to 1 in. long, fan-shaped, deeply 

 and obtusely few-toothed, the lateral ones oblique. Flowers 

 yellow, in a loose cyme. (P. gelida Wats., not Meyer.) 



The broad, green leaves of only 3 leaflets, the long petioles, 

 and the flowers of a very bright, cheerful yellow best mark 

 this species. It grows abundantly in moist soil at Lake Ten- 

 aya, Snow Flat, Clouds Rest, and other places at high 

 altitudes. 



4. P. grayi Wats. Leaves on petioles Y$ in. or less long 

 (except a few bract-like ones), nearly or quite glabrous; 

 leaflets 3, the terminal one distinctly stalked, J4 to Va m - long, 

 obovate, coarsely and deeply 5 to 7-toothed, the teeth mostly 

 acute. Flowers yellow, in a loose cluster or solitary. 



This is a rather dwarf plant with the leaves all huddled at 

 the base and the flowering stalks 6 in. or less high. It is 

 found sparingly at high altitudes. 



5. P. gracilis Dougl. Leaves mostly in tufts from the 



base, on petioles 2 to 8 in. long, 

 soft-pubescent above, densely silky 

 or white-tomentose beneath; stem- 

 leaves smaller and shorter-petioled; 

 leaflets 5 to 7, all sessile on the end 

 of the petiole, 1 to 2 in. long, ob- 

 lanceolate, divided into lanceolate 

 acute teeth. Flowers yellow, nu- 

 merous in the loose terminal 

 cluster. 



This robust plant is commonly 

 12 to 18 in. high. Its numerous 

 forms have given rise to many 

 named varieties. Var. rigida Wats. 

 (P. nuttallii Lehm.) has leaves long- 

 hairy beneath but not woolly. Var. fastigiata Wats., is stout 



