Potentilla.] _-«<XXKVIL ROSACEA. 137 
from the following one, it is by some supposed to be a mere variety, 
and certainly the procumbent variety of the true Tormeniila appears 
to be intermediate between the two. 
3. P. Tormentilla, Neck. (fig. 315). TYormentil.—Rootstock thick 
and woody. Stems erect, or procumbent at the base, several times 
forked, more or less silky-hairy as well as the leaves. Lower leaves 
often shortly stalked, and like those of P. reptans, but the upper ones 
always sessile, consisting of 3, or rarely 5, deeply toothed leaflets. 
Peduncles in the forks of the stem, or in the axils of the upper leaves, 
forming a loose, leafy, terminal cyme. Flowers small, bright yellow, 
and mostly with 4 petals; the first one, however, of each stem has 
occasionally 5, 
On heaths, moors, and pastures, in open woods, &c., throughout 
Europe and Russian Asia, to the Arctic region. One of the most 
abundant and most generally diffused British plants. Fl. summer. 
The P. procumbens, Sibth. (Tormentilla reptans, Linn.), is a more pro- 
cumbent variety, occasionally creeping at the base, with rather larger 
flowers, more frequently having 5 petals, and forms some approach to 
P. reptans ; but the really intermediate forms mentioned above are of 
very rare occurrence. 
4, P. argentea, Linn.(fig. 316). Hoary P.—Stems decumbent at the 
base, ascending, and forked above. Lower leaves on long stalks, the 
upper ones nearly sessile, composed of 5 wedge-shaped or obovate 
leaflets, with a very few deep teeth or lobes, and remarkable for the 
close white down which covers their under side as well as the stems. 
Flowers in a loosely forked, leafy corymb or panicle, rather small, with 
5 yellow petals. 
In gravelly pastures, and on roadsides, in northern and central 
Europe, extending all across the Asiatic continent, but neither an 
Arctic nor generally a Mediterranean plant. In Britain, sparingly 
distributed over England, and eastern Scotland ; absent from Ireland. 
Fl. summer. 
5. P. verna, Linn. (fig. 317). Spring P.—Stems generally short and 
tufted, sometimes procumbent at the base, and ascending above to the 
height of 6 or 8 inches, or shortly prostrate, but not rooting at the nodes 
as in P. reptans. Lower leaves on long stalks, with 5 or 7 obovate or 
oblong, toothed leaflets; the upper ones shortly stalked or nearly sessile, 
with 5 or rarely only 3 leaflets, all green on both sides, although some- 
times greyish by the abundance of silky hairs. Flowers irregularly 
panicled at the ends of the short, weak stems; the petals yellow, 
broad, and longer than the calyx. 
In pastures and waste places, chiefly in hilly and mountain districts, 
in Kurope, and central and Russian Asia, extending to the Arctic 
regions, but grows also in the dry, hot regions of southern Kurope. 
Thinly scattered over England, north of Cambridge and Somerset, and 
Scotland, chiefly in hilly districts, and not recorded from Ireland. Fi. 
spring and summer. It varies much in size and hairiness, and in the 
size of the flowers. A luxuriant mountain variety, with larger flowers, 
of a golden yellow, has been distinguished as a species, under the name 
of P. alpestris, Hall. f., or P. aurea, Sm. (not Linn.). [The mountain 
plant further differs from the lowland one in its ascending stem, larger 
less truncate leaflets, and often spotted flowers. Its earlier names are 
