2. Potentilla arbuscula D. Don, Prodr. Fl. Nep. 256. 1825. Hand.-Mazz. in Acta Hort. Got. 13: 289. 1939, Bowden in J. Arn. Arb. 38: 384. 1957, Panigrahi & Dixit in J. Econ. Tax. Bot. 1: 130. 1980.
Vern.: Merino, Spang Jha
Muqarrab Shah
Department of Microbiology, Hazara University, Mansehra, Pakistan
Erect shrub, 2-3 m. tall. Stem much branched, woody with the bark peeling off, sparsely hairy. Leaves pinnate, 5 foliolate with 3 upper leaflets and 2 lateral and distant leaflets. Stipules membranous, brown, auriculate, united near the base, oblong-ovate, acuminate. Leaflets obovate-elliptic, mucronate, ± flat, not revolute, sparsely adpressed hairy above and glabrous to glabrescent below, sessile or with petiolules. Flowers solitary and conspicuous with long (up to 10 cm.), hairy pedicels, 2.5-3.0 cm., outer sepals 1.2-1.4 x 0.4-0.5 cm., obovate-elliptic, longer than the inner oblong-ovate sepals. Petals suborbicular 0.9-1.0 x 0.7-0.8 cm., yellow. Stamens 25, anthers monothecous. Carpels numerous, long-hairy, styles sub-basal, c. 2.0-2.2 mm. long, much thickened above, clavate. Achenes completely concealed in long sericeous hairs.
Fl. Per.: July-Augst
Type: Gossainthan, Wallich s.n.
Distribution: Kashmir, India, Sikkim, Nepal, Bhutan and China (Xizang).
Potentilla arbuscula is treated in several Indian and Chinese floras as conspecific with Potentilla fruticosa – a species restricted to N. America and Europe. It differs from Potentilla fruticosa in h aving broadly obovate-elliptic leaflets with mucronate apices, ± glabrous beneath and in possesing outer sepals longer than the inner ones. Potentilla fruticosa has linear-oblong leaflets with acute apices, with soft and long silky hairs beneath and outer sepals much shorter than the inner sepals.
A rare species known only from few localities in Kashmir between 2,500 – 3000 m, not collected from Pakistan, found on rocky slopes.
