Potentilla cristae

Crested potentilla

Family: Rosaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.3

Crested potentilla is a rare (CNPS 1B.3) California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges on seasonally moist, serpentine-like gravels and talus at elevations of 1,800 to 2,800 meters. Flowering from June to September, this plant produces white flowers approximately 3 to 5.5 millimeters long in small clusters generally fewer than 7 blossoms. Growing with loosely matted, glandular stems 5 to 20 centimeters tall and spreading hairs, it forms a distinctive branched caudex. Its ternate leaves have three leaflets, with the central leaflet 5 to 20 millimeters long, roughly round and deeply divided into 3 to 5 secondary lobes with toothed edges. The fruit is small, light brown, and distinctively crested, measuring 1 to 1.5 millimeters long.

Habitat: Seasonally moist, often serpentine-like gravels, talus

Bloom period: Jun-Sep

Elevation: 1800-2800 m

Bioregions: KR.

California counties: Siskiyou, Trinity

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.