56. Potentilla argyrophylla Wallich ex Lehmann, Nov. Stirp. Pug. 3: 36. 1831.
银光委陵菜 yin guang wei ling cai
Herbs perennial. Roots terete. Flowering stems erect or basally slightly curved, 15–20 cm tall, together with petioles densely silvery tomentose and villous. Radical leaves 5–10 cm including petiole; stipules brown, membranous, abaxially appressed white sericeous, later glabrescent; leaf blade 3-foliolate; leaflets sessile or terminal one very shortly petiolulate, obovate, elliptic, or broadly ovate, 1.5–2 × 1–1.5 cm, abaxially densely silvery tomentose, appressed silvery sericeous on veins, adaxially appressed silvery sericeous, base cuneate or broadly so, margin sharply incised serrate, apex obtuse; cauline leaves 2 or 3, shortly petiolate, small; stipules green, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, herbaceous, abaxially tomentose and villous, margin entire, apex acuminate. Inflorescence terminal, 2- or 3-flowered. Flowers ca. 2 cm in diam.; pedicel 2–2.5 cm, tomentose and villous. Sepals triangular-lanceolate, apex acuminate; epicalyx segments elliptic-ovate or elliptic-lanceolate, nearly equaling sepals, abaxially appressed white sericeous. Petals yellow, sometimes purple at base, obcordate, ca. 2 × as long as sepals, apex markedly emarginate. Stamens yellow or purple. Style subterminal, yellow or purple, ca. 2.5 × as long as ovary; stigma slightly dilated, capitate. Achenes not seen. Fl. May.
Forests, thickets, sandy river banks, ditch sides; 3700--4000 m. Xizang [Afghanistan, Kashmir, Nepal, Pakistan, Sikkim].
