POTENTILLA PULCIIERRIMA LehIll. Stirp. Pug. 2 : I0. 1830.
Potentilla Hippiana pulcherthna Wats. Proc. Am. Acad. 7: 555. yin part) 1873.
As originally described, P. pulcherrinta Lehm. has pinnate leaves with approximate leaflets. This was undoubtedly the reason why Watson united it with P. diffirsa Gray. As far as I know, that plant is low, ascending, and rather silky and in all respects nearest related to P. Hippiana (see above), while P. pnleheirinia is tall, up right, with slender erect branches and nearest related to P. gracilis and P. fastigiata. Watson, during King's expedition, observed the fact that P. pulcherrima had not always pinnate leaves, which, in fact, is rather seldom the case, and consequently included in P. Ilippiana pulcherrima also a form with digitate leaves. The only
character left to distinguish forms of P. Hippiana and those of P. gracilis was the number of carpels, in the former in the latter 40. Unfortunately the number varies even in the same individual, and therefore many specimens labelled P. gracilis belong to P. pul chenima. My own from the Black Hills, I unfortunately labeled thus. P. puleherrima differs from the other members of the group by its leaflets, which are obovate or oblanceolate, mostly obtuse, crenate, silky and green above, densely white-tomentose beneath. It grows in the mountains and foot hills from New Mexico and Nevada to Saskatchewan. No specimens have been seen from the Pacific Slope.