Overall, the leaf of P. litoralis is relatively larger and wider than P. pensylvanica, and instead of being "distinctly pinnate", with the leaflets set along most of the leaf axis, the leaflets of P. litoralis are set more distally along the axis, leaving a distinct petiole proximally, and therefore the leaf is subpinnate.
As well, P. litoralis has a max. of 3 leaflet pairs on normal basal leaves, whereas generally with a P. pensylvanica plant there is usually at least one basal leaf with 4 or more leaflet pairs.
P. litoralis plants are also more decumbent-ascending compared to generally erect in P. pensylvanica.
Both species can have epicalyx bractlets about equal to sepals in length, and both species have glandular herbage.
They are separated at couplet 3 here:
http://floranorthamerica.org/Potentilla_sect._Pensylvanicae
http://floranorthamerica.org/Potentilla_litoralis
http://floranorthamerica.org/Potentilla_pensylvanica
Compared to P. bipinnatifida, P. litoralis has no white cottony hairs on the leaf backs, and the herbage is glandular, esp. the sepals.
P. litoralis has styles ~ 1 mm long and bumpy-widened at the base.
Keyed using Kershaw & Allen 2020 which follows the 2014 Flora of N. America treatment that elevated P. hippiana var. effusa to species level, thus P. effusa.
-abundant cottony hairs on both sides of leaves (= a gray-aspect plant)
-side leaflets often unevenly paired, and secondary leaflets can be interspersed
-averages 4-9 teeth/side of leaflet, with a max. distal tooth edge of ~ 4mm
-upper leaflet pair not generally decurrent
-flowering stems tend to have relatively more cauline leaves (2-6+)
-epicalyx bracelets are relatively sparsely hairy and tend to be nearly hairless at the tips, have white cottony hairs towards the bases, generally don't have sericeous hairs, and are slender, linear-shaped and shorter - this all relative to the sepals
This plant had a few departures from the FNA description, but I'm not going to quibble since it's possible the FNA author didn't have a lot of Canadian material to examine:
-styles measured in at ~2.5 mm instead of the max. given of 2.1 mm
-one of the terminal leaflets measured ~4 cm, where the max. length given for leaflets is 3 cm
-the inflorescence looks to have > than 30 flowers
http://floranorthamerica.org/Potentilla_effusa
P. hippiana has these contrasting features:
-upper surface of leaves tend to be green, without cottony white hairs, so the leaves appear bicolor and the plant has a green aspect
-leaflets are generally evenly paired and without secondary leaflets
-average of 7-12 teeth/side (same max. distal edge of 4 mm)
-upper leaflet pair generally decurrent
-cauline leaves generally fewer (1) 2-3
-epicalyx bractlets tend to be more densely hairy throughout, even out to the tips, with abundant sericeous hairs, and relatively fewer or no white cottony hairs; shape a little wider and a little longer relative to P. effusa, but length still < sepals
-overall the plant & its parts tending to be a bit larger than P. effusa (larger leaflets to 6 cm max. for example)
-style max. length 2.5 mm
http://floranorthamerica.org/Potentilla_hippiana
2024-03-22 Update: The P. effusa plant in this obs. keys very nicely but it turns out that many AB plants are intergraded with P. hippiana and so the two become hard to separate, unlike out east where it is much clearer. Oh well!
Collected by permit.
EVSC380
Similar to A. frigida, A. campestris caudata also has feathery leaves, but they are not as finely dissected. Very slender panicle. The plant is not nearly as silvery-looking due to fewer hairs being present. This plant was found on the knoll of a hill, sandy soil was present.
Common Plants of the Western Rangelands, Volume 3
Tufted plant, inflorescence of multiple widely-spaced gynecandrous spikes, lower spikes have elongated portions of male flowers, perigynia relatively wide & winged and with flattened beaks that have bristly margins, female scales nearly covering peri, stigmas two. No field pics.
For submission to UBC.
Neither the Illustrated Flora of BC nor the Flora of N. America keys are really clear for this, so it's a bit hard to separate from C. cusickii, but I went with C. prairea due to the prolonged sheaths and the very short ligules.
Generally, you have a large tufted plant with long stems, very long narrow leaves, "coppery" colouring on the mouth of the sheath, drooping branched heads (refer to FNA descriptions, not the key in Ill. Flora of BC, C. prairea does have a branched inflorescence), spikes androgynous, female scales nearly covering the perigynia, peri with a long beak, veined abaxially but not adaxially, achenes "broadly trullate-ovate", etc.
There's just one field photo, it shows habitat and also some of the plants if you zoom to the lower centre part of the photo you can see the arching drooping stems and heads.
For submission to UBC.
Antennaria microphylla Small Leaf Pussytoes
On river bank. This observation goes together with another one from three weeks before: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/98257676.
At creek in damp, shaded conifer woods
1-flowered, callus hairs as long as lemma, lemma awn 6-7 mm, panicle dense & contracted; rhizomatous.
Basal leaves entire & evidently triple-nerved; hairs of stem widely spreading; plants sparingly branched; pappus double (inner of long bristles and outer of very short scales).
Collected for UBC.
Leaf back glabrous and glaucous; leaf shape ovate / elliptic with apex acute and base rounded to subcordate; margin crenate; stipules foliaceous; catkins sessile; ovaries glabrous; floral bract dark brown; style > 1 mm.
Collected for UBC.
Stipules clasping, wing petal tips notched, hairs basifixed, pods stipitate.
Collected for UBC.
Spikelets pedicellate, 1-flowered, glumes scabrous & > lemma, lemma awned from the back with awn exerted, callus hairy, ligules 2-6 mm truncate & entire to lacerate, collar scabrous; tufted perennial with contracted panicle. On rocky grassland slope.
Collected for UBC.
?
No spreading white hairs in disc corollas? Hairs in axils of old leaves are not exactly white though, but not brown either.
spines on the fruits broad
Erigeron asper Rough Fleabane