General: Perennial, 5-40 cm tall; stems decumbent to ascending; herbage spreading- to appressed-hirsute; caudex woody, much-branched; taproot woody, slender.

Leaves: Mostly basal, some cauline, alternate, palmately (rarely sub-pinnately) 5-7 foliate, leaflets oblanceolate to obovate, wedge-shaped, 0.8-4 cm long, the terminal one usually largest, sparsely to densely silky pubescent, ciliate or nearly glabrous, sometimes glaucous, margins toothed in the upper half; stipules lanceolate to ovate; petiole 1-9 cm long.

Flowers: Inflorescence an open cyme, much-branched; flowers numerous, small; hypanthium flat to saucer-shaped; bractlets linear-lanceolate; sepals deltate-lanceolate, 2-3 mm long, sparsely pubescent externally, dark purple within; petals linear to narrowly oblanceolate, 2-4 mm long, dark purple; stamens 5; pistils 1-5; flowers June- August.

Fruits: Achene, 1.2-1.6 mm long.

Ecology: Open woods, dry rocky habitats, windswept ridges; 2400- 3700 m (8000-12000 ft); Apache and Coconino counties; eastern and western Canada, western and southwestern U.S.

Notes: As the epithet implies, the leaves of this species are highly variable with regard to lobe depth, pubescence, and distribution of leaflets (palmate vs. sub-pinnate). Potentilla concinna (elegant cinquefoil) is very similar to P. diversifolia, but generally smaller; leaves are palmately 5-9 foliolate, sometimes sub-pinnate with very short rachis internodes, green above, white-tomentose beneath. It occurs in mixed conifer forests, alpine and subalpine habitats. In P. pulcherrima (beautiful cinquefoil) [=P. gracilis var. pulcherrima] the flowering stems are erect, 20-80 cm tall; herbage is sparsely to densely pubescent with spreading to appressed hairs; leaves are palmately (or rarely sub-pinnately) 5-9 foliate, the margins shallowly toothed to pinnatifid with linear to lanceolate segments; cymes are often large, open, and many-flowered. It occurs in meadows and woodlands up to subalpine habitats. Potentilla subviscosa (Mogollon cinquefoil) is distinguished primarily by its glandular-puberulent and sparsely hirsute herbage; leaves are palmately 5-7 foliate, the leaflets prominently lobed; cymes are open, few-flowered, glandular- puberulent; petals are pale yellow. It is often associated with ponderosa pine, aspen, gambel oak, and occasionally white fir.

Editor: Springer et al. 2008