丛生小叶委陵菜 cong sheng xiao ye wei ling cai

Potentilla tapetodes Soják, Cas. Nár. Mus., Odd. Prír. 152: 160. 1983.

Leaves 0.5–1 cm, crowded, with 2 or 3(–5) pairs of leaflets. Fl. and fr. Jun–Sep.

Rocks on mountain slopes; 3500--5200 m. Xizang [Bhutan, Sikkim].

Potentilla microphylla var. caespitosa T. T. Yü & C. L. Li was described in FRPS (p. 274), but the name is invalid because no Latin description or diagnosis was provided (St. Louis Code, Art. 36.1). The entity described belongs to var. tapetodes.

The rootstock branches of var. tapetodes are surrounded by many old leaves to form a towerlike structures that cluster together to form a large cushion.