About Potentilla gracilis Douglas ex Hook.
Potentilla gracilis, commonly called slender cinquefoil or graceful cinquefoil, is a species of cinquefoil. Its distribution extends from Alaska down the west coast of Canada and the United States, and also includes Colorado. Two named varieties of this species are recognized: Potentilla gracilis var. elmeri (Rydb.) Jeps., which is called combleaf cinquefoil, and Potentilla gracilis var. flabelliformis (Lehm.) Nutt.
This species is a perennial herb with variable morphology. It grows multiple erect stems reaching up to one meter tall, growing from a branching structure made up of a caudex and rhizome. The leaves are palmate and compound; each leaf is split into five to seven wide, lance-shaped leaflets with toothed edges. The leaflets are covered in hairs, with far more hairs present on their undersides. This makes the undersides lighter in color than the upper leaflet surfaces. Basal leaves grow on very long petioles, while leaves located higher up on the stem are smaller and reduced in size. The inflorescence is a cyme that holds several flowers. Each flower typically has five sepals, lower bracts, and yellow petals. Potentilla gracilis acts as a larval host plant for the two-banded checkered skipper.
