A low growing perennial herb. Rootstock slender, single or grouped together. Floral stem up to 10 cm long, floccose-tomentose, ascending. Basal leaves few, 5-foliate, petioles 1.0-2.5 cm long, floccose-tomentose with long straight hairs intermixed. Basal stipules overlapping, membranous, auricles oblong-linear, acuminate, cauline stipules ovate, leafy. Leaflets obovate, 0.7-2.0 x 0.4-0.8 cm, upper surface adpressed pilose, ± green, lower surface niveo-tomentose with long hairs on midvein and edges, generally ½ divided with 3-7 pairs of teeth. Flowers 0.8-1.0 cm diam. Calyces subequal, acute with pilose and tomentose indumentum. Petals c. 5 mm long and broad, obcordate. Stamens about 15-20. Carpels many, styles subterminal, c. 1 mm, uniformly thickened. Achenes c. 1.2 mm long.

Type: Described from Leepa Valley (Kashmir) (LIV).

B-8 Cachemyr (Kashmir), Voyage de Jacquemont Indes Orient. 542 (P).

Distribution: Kashmir, India (from Spiti to Kumaon), Nepal, Bhutan and China.

Potentilla saundersiana Royle resembles Potentilla sino-nivea Hulten in the indumentum of the plants which is floccose-tomentose on stems, petioles and lower surfaces of leaflets. It differs, however, in the number of leaflets. Potentilla sino-nivea is trifoliolate Wh ile Potentilla saundersiana is 5-foliolate.

The species is common in Eastern Himalaya. Its western limit is Kashmir, wh ere it is not so common. Found between 3500 to 4500m.