Southwest Colorado Wildflowers, Potentilla

Potentillas (commonly called "Cinquefoils") are abundant through many vegetative zones in the San Juans and other mountains of the Four Corners and their bright yellow flowers are a common sight to hikers. Their are several dozen species of Potentilla in the Four Corners area; they hybridize and are difficult to distinguish.

Linnaeus named the genus in 1753. "Potentilla" is derived from "potent", as some members of the genus were believed to have potent curative powers. "Cinquefoil" is from the Latin "quinque" (five) and "folium" (leaf) for the five-parted leaflet.

See Potentilla concinna, Potentilla pensylvanica and P. plattensis, and Drymocallis arguta.

Potentilla rubricaulis (Red-stemmed Cinquefoil)
Rosaceae (Rose Family)

Alpine. Gravel and scree. Summer.
Spiller-Helmet Ridge, August 9, 2005.

Bright yellow flowers look just a little too close to the ground to be Mountain Avens or one of the many other Potentillas. When one works down to their tiny level, one finds miniatures of the larger Cinquefoils but with noticeably maroon-red stems which usually recline. Petals are the characteristic Cinquefoil-yellow with a blush of orange at their base.

Potentilla rubricaulis (Red-stemmed Cinquefoil)
Rosaceae (Rose Family)

Alpine. Gravel and scree. Summer.
Spiller-Helmet Ridge, August 9, 2005.

John Richardson collected the first specimen of this lovely plant for science in Canada in the 1820s and it was named and described by Johann Lehmann in 1830.

Species present in state and native
Species present in state and exotic
Species not present in state

County Color Key

Species present and not rare
Species present and rare
Species extirpated (historic)
Species extinct
Species noxious
Species exotic and present
Native species, but adventive in state
Eradicated
Questionable presence

Range map for Potentilla rubricaulis