Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest along the border in north-central Washington; Alaska south to Washington, east to Manitoba.
Habitat: Sagebrush plains to mountain ridges.
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Conservation Status: Not of concern
Pollination: Bumblebees, bees, flies, butterflies, beetles, moths, wasps
Perennial from a branched crown, the 1-several flowering stems 2-5 dm. tall, decumbent to erect, pubescent and often woolly.
Leaves pinnate, strongly pubescent, greenish above but nearly white below; leaflets 5-9, the lower ones often reduced, the upper 3 the largest, oblong to oblanceolate-obovate, 1.5-3 cm. long, lobed 1/2-4/5 the way to the midrib into linear segments; stipules cleft.
Inflorescence of several-flowered, bracteate, narrow cymes, the bracts much reduced upward; calyx grayish-woolly and somewhat glandular, the 5 lobes triangular-lanceolate, 5 mm. long, about equal to the 5 bracteoles and yellow petals; stamens 20; pistils numerous; style subapical, 1 mm. long, thickened at the base, tapered to the tip.
Achene smooth, 1 mm. long.
PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Potentilla rubricaulis in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database
WA Flora Checklist: Potentilla rubricaulis checklist entry
OregonFlora: Potentilla rubricaulis information
E-Flora BC: Potentilla rubricaulis atlas page
CalPhotos: Potentilla rubricaulis photos