Potentina crantzii, (Crantz) G. Beck ex Fritsch Potentina aurea, L. Potentina heptaphylla, L.

43. P. crantzii (Crantz) G. Beck ex Fritsch , Excursionsfl. Österr. 295 (1897)

(P., verna L. nom . ambig., P. alpestris Haller fil. ,P. salisburgensis Haenke ).

Perennial with thick, woody stock; branches few, short, not or hardly rooting; lateral flowering stems up to 20 (-30) cm slender, ascending. Leaves digitate; leaflets (3-)5, 8-20(-40) x 6-15(-20) mm, oblanceolate to obovatecuneate or almost suborbicular, usually with broad, obtuse teeth, the terminal tooth subequal to the adjacent lateral, glabrous or sparsely hairy above, sparsely to densely hairy (mainly on the veins) beneath, the margin with patent hairs. Stipules of basal leaves ovate-lanceolate, subacute, often persistent in the withered state. Flowers 1-12. Epicalyx-segments oblong or elliptical, shorter than or almost as long as the triangular-ovate sepals. Petals 6-10 mm, yellow, often with an orange-coloured spot at base, longer than sepals. Style conical at base, slightly davate at apex. 2«=28, 42, 48, 64. Open, rocky ground; usually calcicole. N. Europe; mountains o f C. & S. Europe. Al Au Br Bu Cz Fa Fe G a Ge He Hs Is It Ju Lu No Po Rm Rs (N, B, C, W) Sb Su.

Very variable. Tetraploid plants from S. Poland (Tatra) are known to be sexual, but other plants in Scandinavia and Britain prove to be hexaploids or higher polyploids and apomictic. Plants from N. England and Sweden with characters intermediate between 43 and 49 are high polyploids and almost certainly the product of occasional hybridization.

P. serpentini Borbas ex Zimmeter , Gatt. Potent. 22 (1884), described from serpentine rocks in Austria (Burgenland), is a densely glandular-hairy variant; similar (but not identical) variants are known from serpentine in the Vosges and in Czechoslovakia and all probably merit varietal status only.

44. P. aurea L. , Cent. Pl. 2: IS (1756).

Like 43 but more matforming; upper part of stem and inflorescence covered with appressed silky hairs, never glandular; leaflets with appressed silky hairs on the margin and on the veins beneath, the terminal tooth always smaller than the adjacent lateral; epicalyx-segments linear-lanceolate; petals 6-11 mm. Grassland and rocky places, usually between 1400 m and 2600 m; calcifuge. Mountains o f S. and C. Europe, from N. Spain to the Carpathians and the Balkan peninsula. Al Au Bu Cz Ga Ge G r He Hs It Ju Po Rm Rs (W).

(a) Subsp. aurea :

Leaflets 5, with acute teeth. 2n = 14. • Throughout the range o f the species except the S. & E. parts of the Balkan peninsula.

Amphimictic and not very variable.

(b) Subsp. chrysocraspeda (Lehm.) Nyman , Consp. 225 (1878)

( P. ternata C. Koch ):

Leaflets always 3, often with obtuse teeth. Balkan peninsula, S. & E. Carpathians.

45. P. heptaphylla L. , Cent. Pl. 1: 13 (1755)

( P. opaca L. , P. rubens (Crantz) Zimmeter , non Vili.).

Perennial, with slender stock; branches short, ascending; lateral flowering stems up to 40 cm, slender, with soft patent hairs borne on minute tubercles, and shorter, thick pubescence, often with reddish multicellular glandular hairs. Leaves digitate; leaflets 5-7, 8-25x4-11 mm, ovate-lanceolate, dentate or crenate-dentate; stipules of basal leaves ovate-lanceolate, acute. Flowers 1-10. Sepals ovatelanceolate; epicalyx-segments linear-lanceolate, as long as or shorter than sepals. Petals 5-7 mm, yellow. Achenes smooth. Style conical at base, slightly davate at apex, smooth. 2« =14 28, 30, 35. Dry, unshaded grassland; usually lowland and calcicole. • C. Europe, extending to C. Jugoslavia and N. Ukraine, and northwards to 58° N. in S. Sweden. Au?Bu Cz Da Ga Ge He Hu It Ju Po Rm Rs (W) Su.