Abstract
The mode of origin of Potentilla crantzii (quinate leaves) from the Asian P. gelida (ternate leaves) can be observed in Tien Shan and in mountains of southern Siberia even at present. Transitional forms between them also occur in the far North‐East of Asian Russia and from the Ural to Norway.
Potentilla puberula (P. pusilla according to contemporary authors) did not originate by hybridization between P. incana (P. arenaria) and P. verna (P. tabernaemontani), as is usually assumed. On the contrary, P. verna is derived from the hybrid species P. puberula, i.e., from the offspring of crosses between P. heptaphylla and P. incana. It arose from them by way of gradual loss of stellate and partly reduced stellate hairs. This process took place mainly in the past but may be documented reliably.
The name P. pusilla Host 1831 has been used since 1949 for the hybrid plants mentioned. The monographer of the genus Wolf (1908: 601) studied its type specimen and ascertained that it has only simple hairs, determining it as P. verna L. The type specimen of P. pusilla is currently lost. The name is doubtful. It is recommended herein to replaced it with the name P. puberula Krašan 1867 (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)