Argentina anserina

Perennial, at first acaulescent, with tufted basal lvs, soon emitting long stolons that root and produce similar but smaller clusters of lvs at the nodes; lvs oblanceolate, to 3 dm, pinnately compound with numerous lfls often alternating with other much smaller ones; lfls oblanceolate or narrowly elliptic, to 4 cm, increasing in size distally, sharply toothed, tomentose beneath and also silvery-sericeous with long appressed hairs, glabrous to sericeous above; stolons, pedicels and leaf-axes generally villous, the hairs often spreading; fls yellow, 1.5-2.5 cm wide, solitary on slender pedicels from the nodes of the stolons and sometimes from the original plant; bractlets often toothed; style lateral; achenes 2.5 mm, about as thick, deeply furrowed on the summit and back; 2n=28, 35, 42. Moist or wet, open places; circumboreal, s. to N.Y., n. Ind., Io., and N.M. May-Sept. (Argentina anserina)

Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

©The New York Botanical Garden. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

General: Perennial, stoloniferous, the stolons reaching as much as 50 cm long, rooting at the nodes. Leaves: Forming basal tufts, odd-pinnate, with 15-25 leaflets, oblanceolate to obovate, 1-3.5 cm long, green and sparsely appressed-villous to nearly glabrous above, white-tomentose below, margins toothed to lobed; stipules prominent; petioles sparsely to densely pubescent. Flowers: Inflorescence an elongate, spike-like raceme; flowers numerous, each subtended by a bract; hypanthium obconic, the throat beset with hooked bristles; sepals 5, triangular, 1-2 mm long; petals 5, about 5 mm long, yellow; flowers July-September. Fruits: Achene, numerous, ovoid, about 2 mm long, light brown. Ecology: Meadows, lakeshores, streambanks, wet habitats; 1100-2700 m (3500-9000 ft); Apache, Coconino, Greenlee, Navajo, and Yavapai counties; Canada, eastern, north-central, western, and southwestern U.S. Notes: This species looks extremely similar to a Potentilla and was previously included in that genus, but can be distinguished by its flowers borne solitary at the nodes, and its quite long (3-15 cm) pedicels. Silverweed cinquefoil has been cultivated for its edible tubers, which are said to be similar to sweet potatoes. Editor: Springer et al. 2008

From Flora of Indiana (1940) by Charles C. Deam

Found only in beach pools along Lake Michigan. It was formerly common just east of Michigan City but has become rare or extinct in most places. I have never found it in Porter County although there is one report. The report from St. Joseph County should possibly be referred to some other species. Grimes' specimen from Tipton County was found in the railroad yards at Tipton.

Indiana Coefficient of Conservatism: C = 4

Wetland Indicator Status: n/a