Plant Species of San Jacinto Mountain: Potentilla glandulosa, sticky cinquefoil (Drymocallis glandulosa and D. lactea)
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| Drymocallis glandulosa var. viscida
formerly part of Potentilla glandulosa ssp. reflexa © Tom Chester, Marion Mountain trail, San Jacinto Mountains, 8050 feet elevation | Drymocallis lactea var. lactea
formerly Potentilla glandulosa ssp. nevadensis © Michael Charters, Wellman Cienega, San Jacinto Mountains, 9000 feet elevation |
Introduction
Characteristics of SnJt species
Key to separate SnJt species
Summary of distinctions among SnJt species
Distribution of the subspecies in Riverside County from Vouchers
Histogram of Elevation by Subspecies
Introduction
See Plants of Southern California: Potentilla glandulosa subspecies for a discussion of these taxa, including the changes made in the online Second Edition Jepson Manual treatment.
Characteristics of SnJt species
In the Pine Belt of SnJt, using the taxonomy of the first edition Jepson Manual treatment, we have two subspecies of P. glandulosa, ssp. reflexa and ssp. nevadensis. However, using the Jepson Manual Second Edition treatment we now have three taxa, due to the restoration of Drymocallis glandulosa var. viscida, and with the surprising move of P. glandulosa ssp. nevadensis to a separate species. The three taxa, along with their California elevation ranges, are:
| JM Name | JM2 Name | California Elevation Range |
|---|---|---|
| Potentilla glandulosa ssp. reflexa | Drymocallis glandulosa var. reflexa | 450-2600 m = 1500-8500 feet |
| Potentilla glandulosa ssp. glandulosa | Drymocallis glandulosa var. viscida | 1100-2500 m = 3500-8200 feet |
| Potentilla glandulosa ssp. nevadensis | Drymocallis lactea var. lactea | 1800-3700 m = 5900-12,100 feet |
Due to the resurrection of D. glandulosa var. viscida, it is currently difficult to know which online vouchers of P. glandulosa ssp. reflexa are actually D. glandulosa var. reflexa, and which are actually D. var. viscida. The only vouchers that can be trusted right now are those determined by Ertter after she resurrectd var. viscida. The following table shows a summary of those Ertter vouchers:
| Region | var. reflexa | var. viscida |
|---|---|---|
| SnGb | 5 | 6 |
| SnBr | 2 | 6 |
| SnJt | 1 | 6 |
| Total | 8 | 18 |
It appears from the above that var. viscida is the dominant variety at SnBr and SnJt, whereas the two varieties might be equally abundant at SnGb. The only voucher at SnJt determined as var. reflexa is from e of Lake Hemet (and n of Mount Thomas, just e of Hurkey Creek Camp area).
Key to separate SnJt species
A key to separate just these three taxa, modified from the JM2 and JM1 key and treatment, is:
1. Petals +- yellow, ± = or < sepals, narrow-obovate to narrow-obovate-elliptic; stem and pedicel glandular hairs gen abundant ..... D. glandulosa
2. Infl branches spreading (angle gen 25-55°); lflet teeth mostly double; sepal tip gen obtuse ..... var. reflexa
2'. Infl branches ascending (angle gen 10-30°); lflet teeth mostly single; sepal tip acute ..... var. viscida1' Petals gen cream, = or > sepals, wide obovate; stem and pedicel glandular hairs gen 0-few; lflet teeth gen single; sepal tip ± acute... D. lactea var. lactea
Summary of distinctions among SnJt species
A summary of the differences between these taxa, from the JM2 treatment, is in the following table:
| Taxa | Lower st and pedicel glandular hairs | Leaflet teeth | Infl branch angle (deg) | Sepal habit | Sepal Length (mm) | Sepal tip | Petal color | Petal Shape | Petal length x width (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| reflexa | abundant | ± double, 6-16 / side | gen 25-55 | ± reflexed | gen 4-6 | gen obtuse | yellow | narrow obovate | gen 3-4 x 2-2.5 |
| viscida | abundant | ± single, 4-9 / side | gen 15-30 | ± reflexed | gen 4-6 | acute | ± yellow | narrow-obovate-elliptic | gen 2-4 x ± 2 |
| lactea | 0-sparse | ± single, 4-10/ side | gen 10-20 | ? | 3-8 | ± acute | wide obovate | gen cream | gen 4-8 mm x ? |
Distribution of the subspecies in Riverside County from Vouchers
The following range maps and elevation histogram were made after georeferencing all vouchers of P. glandulosa taxa in Riverside County. The maps were made using the form created by Dick Moe to submit a list of coordinates to the Berkeley Mapper.
 P. glandulosa ssp. glandulosa = D. glandulosa ssp. wrangelliana |  P. glandulosa ssp. reflexa = D. glandulosa ssp. reflexa and D. glandulosa ssp. viscida |
 D. glandulosa ssp. viscida |  P. glandulosa ssp. nevadensis = D. lactea ssp. lactea |
 Vouchers only classified to the species P. glandulosa = D. glandulosa and D. lactea |
Histogram of Elevation by Subspecies
Note that most of the vouchers of var. reflexa are probably actually var. viscida (see discussion above). The close similarity of the elevation ranges in this histogram also supports that interpretation.
The following table summarizes the range of elevations for each variety.
| Variety | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| glandulosa | reflexa | viscida | nevadensis | |
| Elevation (feet) | 600-2000 | 2100-8000 | 4400-8000 | 5000-9200 |
| Elevation (m) | 200-600 | 650-2450 | 1350-2450 | 1500-2800 |