Gracilis: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora and Flora of Alberta leading to this species. 

	plants of drier habitats; NOT [a decumbent plant of aquatic and marshy habitats]
	plant herb-like, not woody based; NOT [plant shrubby or with woody bases]
	perennial plant with stout rootstocks, often showing old bases of leaves; NOT [annual or biennial plant without perennial rootstocks]
	plant without runners; NOT [low creeping plant with runners]
	plants NOT densely tufted
	plants usually more than 25 cm high
	plants not usually glandular; NOT [plants glandular pubescent]
	stipules entire; NOT [stipules toothed, at least towards their base]
	leaves longer; NOT [leaves 1-5 cm long]
	basal leaves clearly evident; NOT [basal leaves not conspicuous]
	leaves mostly basal; NOT [leaves mostly cauline]
	basal leaves digitate with 5-9 divisions; NOT [basal leaves trifoliolate], NOT [basal leaves pinnate]
	stem leaves 1-3 below the inflorescence; NOT [stem leaves 4 or more]
	stems with 0-3 leaves; NOT [stems leafy above and in the inflorescence]
	inflorescence leafy only at base; NOT [flowers in a leafy cyme]
	leaflets commonly 5-9; NOT [leaflets commonly 3-5]
	larger leaflets at least 3 cm long; NOT [larger leaflets about 2 cm long]
	leaflets elliptic-lanceolate; NOT [leaflets cuneate]
	leaflets oblanceolate to elliptic; NOT [leaflets obovate]
	leaflets toothed to the base; NOT [leaflets sharply toothed apically, base entire]
	leaflets often a greyish-brown color below, somewhat greener above; NOT [leaflets mostly fresh green on both surfaces]
	secondary veins conspicuously raised
	flowers few-many, in terminal cymes; NOT [flowers solitary on long, naked peduncles, mostly from the nodes of stolons]
	inflorescence open; NOT [inflorescence compact]
	flowers yellow; NOT [flowers reddish purple], NOT [flowers white]
	petals longer than sepals; NOT [petals shorter than sepals]
	petals 5-9 mm long; NOT [petals 9-12 mm long]
	petals large; NOT [petals minute]
	stamens 15-20; NOT [stamens 5-15], NOT [stamens 25-30]
	anthers mostly 1.0 mm long; NOT [anthers mostly 0.5 mm long]
	styles NOT warty-papillose at base
	achenes more or less smooth; NOT [achenes striate or strongly reticulate-veiny], NOT [achenes hairy]

Potentilla: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora  and Flora of Alberta leading to this genus. 

	herbs, or with a woody base and otherwise herbaceous; NOT [shrubs or trees]
	leaves compound; NOT [leaves simple, usually toothed]
	leaves NOT much dissected into linear lobes
	basal leaves with MORE than 3 leaflets
	calyx bractlets present (appearing like 10 sepals); NOT [calyx bractlets lacking]
	hypanthium LACKING hooked prickles
	stamens 10-many; NOT [stamens 5]
	carpels 10-many; NOT [carpels 5-20], NOT [carpels 2]
	styles articulated at base and not jointed near the middle; NOT [styles not articulated at base but often with an abrupt bend or joint near the middle]
	style much shorter than the achene; NOT [style much longer than the achene]
	NOT [style hooked or plumose in fruit]
	style deciduous from the achene, not persisting in the fruit
	carpels becoming achenes NOT [carpels becoming drupelets (raspberry-like)]
	fruit NOT fleshy