| Class: | angiosperms |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Rosaceae |
| Genus: | Potentilla |
| Scientific name: | Potentilla laevissima R. Kam. |
| Name acc. to: | Gubanov 1996, not in Grubov 1982/2001 |
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| Habit (i)general appearance of a plant | |
| Growth form: (i)Herb, shrub, tree or climber. | herb (i)Herbaceous, erect plant, up to 2m high, mostly with a leafy shoot; if perennial, shoots die to the ground each season, shoots are not woody
example: Artemisia pectinata   inherited by genus Potentilla: herb
perennial (i)Living for several to many years, as opposed to annual and biennial inherited by genus Potentilla: perennial
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| Parasite status: (i)Is the plant a half- or full parasite? | no parasite/saprophyte (i)Plant fully autonomous, leaves with chlorophyll
example: Most plants, Ranunculus inherited by family Rosaceae: no parasite/saprophyte
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| Water or terrestrial plant: (i)Where do the plants grow? | terrestrial (i)Plant grows on dry land
example: Orostachys spinosa inherited by genus Potentilla: terrestrial
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| Leaf (i)expanded, usually photosynthetic organ of a plant (including phylloclades) | |
| Leaf development: (i)Structure and development of leaves. | with green leaves (i)Plant with green leaves inherited by family Rosaceae: with green leaves
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| Leaf arrangement: (i)Arrangement of leaves at the stem. | alternate (i)One leaf per node; distiche: arranged in two vertical rows, equitant
example: Phragmites   inherited by genus Potentilla: alternate
basal rosette (i)Leaves positioned at the base of the stem; stem often without leaves, no visible internodes (but flowers often on erect stems, and these may have few leaves)
example: Limonium, Potentilla, Plantago; also used in Liliales with basaly crouwded leaves (Tofieldia, Zigadenus etc.)  inherited by genus Potentilla: basal rosette
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| Simple or divided leaves: (i)Are the leaves simple or completely divided in several parts? Blade of the leaf entire or (more or less) deeply dissected. Attention: There are various appearances of the leaf margin (from entire to toothed and lobed). Here, we ignore this and ask only for dissections that separate the leaf for more than one third of its length or width, whatever is smaller. Sometimes, it is difficult to tell apart compound leaves from a shoot system with simple leaves: look for stipulae and/or axillary buds at the ground of the leaves: if only some possess these structures, the others are most likely leaflets of a compound leaf. | trifoliate (i)Three-parted leaf (often called ternate)
example: Trifolium, Thermopsis  inherited by genus Potentilla: trifoliate
compound (i)Composed of several similar parts inherited by genus Potentilla: compound
pinnate (i)With leaflets on both sides of an axis, at least 2 pairs or more
example: Onobrychis  inherited by genus Potentilla: pinnate
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| Leaf apex: (i)Appearance of the tip of leaf resp. leaflets in compound leaves. | emarginate (i)With a notch at the apex
example: Potentilla bifurca  inherited by genus Potentilla: emarginate
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| Leaf margin: (i)Structure of leaf margin (or that of a leaflet in case of compound leaves). Attention: Here we ask for the leaf margin, defined as all those dissections that separate the leaf for less than one third of its length or width, whatever is smaller. To be worked out: how to handle margin of pinnate leaves? | serrate / dentate / crenulate (i)Margin saw-like or rounded teethed
example: Betula, Lophanthus (crenulate)  inherited by genus Potentilla: serrate / dentate / crenulate
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| Petiole: (i)Leaf divided into stalk (petiole) and blade. | with (i)Leaves with petiole (stalk)  inherited by genus Potentilla: with
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| Stipule: (i)Leaflets at the base of the petiole, these are smaller and of different shape. | pair (i)A pair of free stipulae
example: Lathyrus, Trifolium  inherited by genus Potentilla: pair
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| Flower (i)reproductive portion of the plant, consisting of sepals, petals, stamens, and pistils | |
| Flower appearance and pollination: (i)General appearance of the flower. | attractive, animal-pollinated (i)attractive and coloured flowers, mostly large, attracting surely animals
example: Trollius, Rosa, Chamaerhodos inherited by family Rosaceae: attractive, animal-pollinated
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| Perianth arrangement: (i)Attention: in some plants, flowers may be dimorphic in different ways (dioecious or gynodioecious). If flowers vary, record the characters of the most showy flowers. | double, different (i)Two types of perianth leaves, differently coloured (sepals: outer periant leaves, usually greenish, and petals: inner perianth leaves, usually coloured)
example: Parnassia   inherited by genus Potentilla: double, different
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| Diameter of flower: (i)Diameter of flower or flower head. | from 10 mm to 20 mm (i)
example: Potentilla inherited by genus Potentilla:
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| Flower symmetry: (i)Symmetry of the perianth leaves. Attention: to assess this character, look on sepals, petals and stamens, but neglect carpels and ovary. | radiary, regular (actinomorphic) (i)More than two axis of symmetry
example: Saxifraga: 5; Iris: 3  inherited by family Rosaceae: radiary, regular (actinomorphic)
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| Flower form: (i)common forms of flowers ? Veronica | simple (flat) - Do not confuse with inflorescences as in some Asteraceae (i)Petals spread out, flower appearing flat
example: Mollugo, Trientalis, Pulsatilla, Saxifraga  inherited by family Rosaceae: simple (flat) - Do not confuse with inflorescences as in some Asteraceae
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| Sepal number: (i)Number of sepal leaves (outer perianth leaves, calyx leaves, mostly greenish). Attention, this character applies only for flowers separated in sepals and petals, thus excluding most monocots. Be aware of the bracts (involucral leaves) of Asteraceae flowerheads, do not qualify these as sepals! Be also aware in Rosaceae is often an epicalyx developed, in this case count all parts. | 10 (i)Calyx and epicalyx inherited by genus Potentilla: 10
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| Petal / Tepal number: (i)Number of petal leaves (inner perianth leaves, usually coloured). | 5 (i)
example: Potentilla inherited by genus Potentilla: 5
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| Petal / Tepal fusion: (i)To which degree are the petal leaves connected? Petals sympetalous. | free (i)all petal leaves separate from each other
example: Anthriscus inherited by family Rosaceae: free
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| Spur: (i)A hollow, slender, sac-like appendage of the perianth leaves, storing nectar. | no spur (i)Flower without appendage
example: Peganum inherited by family Rosaceae: no spur
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| Stamen number: (i)Attention: We ask for the reproductive organs of the flower dispersing pollen. Count only fully fertile stamens, not staminodia (e.g. Parnassia). | > 10 (i)
example: Nymphaea, Callianthemum, Rosa inherited by genus Potentilla: > 10
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| Stamen fusion: (i)To which degree are the stamens fused? Attention: Whereas the pollen sacs itself are often free., their stalks (filaments) may be fused. Here, we count them as fused if they are together over at least one thirth of their length. | free (i)Stamens with separate bases
example: Malus inherited by family Rosaceae: free
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| Carpel number: (i)Number of carpels (carpel: forming a simple pistil or part of a compound pistil, modified leaf). | > 5 inherited by genus Potentilla: > 5
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| Carpel fusion: (i)To which degree are the carpels (modified leaf forming simple pistil or part of a compound pistil) fused. | free (i)Carpels entirely free
example: Geum, Aconitum inherited by genus Potentilla: free
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| Sex: (i)Distribution of male and female organs among flowers, only most commonly cases. | bisexual, hermaphrodite (i)All or nearly all flowers of a plant with male and female parts
example: Haplophyllum, Chenopodium inherited by genus Potentilla: bisexual, hermaphrodite
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| Inflorescence (i)flowering part of a plant, describes the arrangement of the flowers on the flowering axis | |
| Inflorescence: (i)Structure of the inflorescence. | Solitary flowers (i)Each flower grows on an own leafy stem there may be more than one, if the plant has many leafy shoots
example: Viola, Saxifraga hirculus, Rubus arcticus
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| Fruit (i)the seed bearing organ, with or without adnate parts; a ripened ovary and any other structures which are attached and ripen with it. Aggregate fruits are handled like simple fruits for determination. | |
| Consistency: (i)Fleshy fruits or dry fruits, see dispersal adaptations for further classification. | fleshy (i)Usually non dehiscent; with a fleshy (swollen because of a high water content) outer shell, flesh edible at least for animals
example: Prunus, Amygdalus, Malus
dry (i)With a dry outer shell, no fleshy parts, but seed (embryo) could be edible inherited by genus Potentilla: dry
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| Type of fruit: (i)Common fruit types (including pseudocarp). | Indehiscent fruits inherited by genus Potentilla: Indehiscent fruits
Solitary fruits (i)   
achene (i)A small, dry, indehiscent fruit with a single seed
example: Asteraceae, Apiaceae (schizocarp), Dipsacaceae, Rosaceae, Ranunculaceae   inherited by genus Potentilla: achene
berry (i)Fleshy fruit with several to many seeds in the flesh
example: Tomato 
nut or nutlet (i)Dry fruit with a single, hard stone inside (and usually a large often edible embryo)  inherited by genus Potentilla: nut or nutlet
drupe (stone fruit) (i)Fleshy, indehiscent fruit with a single, hard stone inside
example: Plum, cherry 
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| Opening of fruit: (i)Mode of dehiscence at maturity to release seeds. | not opening / indehiscent (i)Fruits remain closed at maturity and disperse with seeds inside
example: Corylus (nut), Vaccinium (berry) inherited by genus Potentilla: not opening / indehiscent
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| Dispersal: (i)Appearance of fruit or seed (if single) and adaptations to dispersal. | Fleshy, edible (i)At least parts with a soft tissue edible at least for some animals (not necessarily for humans)
Flying (wind dispersed) (i)Fruits or seeds with appendages to fly
example: Taraxacum, Atraphaxis, Pulsatilla
Otherwise (i)All parts dry, no conspicuous adaptations
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| Root / shoot below ground (i)plant part below ground (in most cases), including below ground shoots, without leaves | |
| Root type: (i)Organisation of the roots. | allorhizous (i)Plant with a conspicuous tap root, one larger tap root with side roots
example: Dicotyledonae inherited by order Rosales: allorhizous
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| Runners: (i)Plant must be excavated; shoots, subterranean shoots connected by runners. | stolons (i)Plants creep with above-ground shoots (stolons) which can root and establish new plants
example: Potentilla arenaria, P. anserina  inherited by genus Potentilla: stolons
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| Distribution (i)region where the plant is likely to be found | |
| Distribution (Veg. Zones): (i)acc. to Grubov 1952 | Mongolian Altai (i)In distribution data often named as '7' 
acc. to: Gubanov 1996 |
| Plant Status | |
| Endemism: | endemit: Mongolian Altai
acc. to: Gubanov 1996 |