Taxon Report

Potentilla pulcherrima Lehm.

beautiful cinquefoil

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Potentilla pulcherrima, commonly known as beautiful cinquefoil, is a perennial herb in the Rosaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Great Basin scrub, growing at elevations from 3010 to 3010 meters. Potentilla pulcherrima is ranked 2B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Potentilla pulcherrima Lehm.
Common Name:	beautiful cinquefoil
Family:	Rosaceae
Element Code:	PDROS1B2P0
USDA Plants Symbol:	POPU9
Synonyms/Other Names:	Potentilla gracilis Hook. var. pulcherrima (Lehm.) Fern.

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: Jul	Jul
Elevation:	3010-3010 (9875-9875)
General Habitats:	Great Basin scrub
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.2
Global Rank:	G5
State Rank:	S1
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.2 to 2B.2 on 2013-06-12

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	1
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	1

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Mono (MNO)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Blanco Mtn. (3711842)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	1
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	1	100 %
Grazing	1	100%

Notes



Known in CA from only one occurrence at Crooked Creek. Possibly threatened by erosion. Not in The Jepson Manual (1993). See Rhodora 42:213 (1940) for revised nomenclature.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 29 October 2025].