52. Potentilla x mutabilis Sojak in Folia Geobot. et Phytotax. Bohem. 1: 350. 1968.
Muqarrab Shah
Department of Microbiology, Hazara University, Mansehra, Pakistan
Perennial, erect herbs. Stem 10-40 cm long, leafy, sparsely pilose, dichotomously branched above the middle. Basal leaves interruptedly pinnate, medium palmate-digitate, upper ternate, petioles 4-8 cm long with short tomentose and long villose hairs. Basal stipules reddish-brown, pilose, auriculate, upper green ovate. Leaflets obovate-cuneate, 2.0-4.0 x 1.0-2.5 cm, sessile or with small petiolule, serrate-dentate, ± adpressed pilose above, green, sparsely tomentose and greyish below with long hairs on veins. Flowers c. 1 cm diam. Sepals subequal, 3-4 mm long, outer oblong, obutse, inner ovate, acute. Petals yellow, 5.0-5.5 mm long, emarginate. Stamens about 20. Carpels numerous, styles 1.2-1.4 mm long, subterminal, coniform, much thickened below.
Type: Tibet sine loco propriore, Hugel 1001 (W).
B-7 Gilgit, Tragbol, ± 8,500 ft, R.R. Stewart 4835 (K), between Badawan and Korakbal, Gilgit Road, ± 8,000 ft, R.R. Stewart 19538 (RAW), B-8 Kahsmir, Sonamarg, ± 9,000 ft, seeds wrinkled, hairy receptacles, R.R. Stewart 6656 (K, RAW), Ferozpur nullah, ± 7,000-8,000 ft, R.R. Stewart (RAW).
Distribution: Pakistan and Kashmir.
Found between 2,100 – 5,500 m. Endemic.
A rare species collected only from few localities. Sojak (1988) considers this species as a possible hybrid between Potentilla argentea (section Terminales) x Potentilla gerardiana (section Tanacetifoliae). The indumentum of the plant resembles Potentilla argentea but the basal leaves are interruptedly pinnate and leaflets serrate-dentate l ike Potentilla gerardiana.
