Perennial, ascending herbs. Stem 10-20 (-40) cm long, floccose-tomentose. Leaves ternate, mostly basal, petioles 3-7 (-10) cm long, floccose-tomentose. Basal stipules adnate with oblong-ovate auricles, reddish-brown, upper stipules
ovate, greyish-green. Leaflets 3, 1.3-2.7 (-4.0) x 1.0-2.5 cm, obovate-cuneate, nearly 1/3 divided, 12-18 dentate, upper surface greyish-green with tomentose and shiny pilose indumentum intermixed, lower surface densly dull-white griseo-tomentose with long adpressed pilose indumentum on the veins. Flowers in aggregate heads, 1.2-1.5 cm diam., calyces densely sericeous, outer sepals linear, obtuse, inner a little longer, ovate, acute. Petals c. 7 mm long and broad,
obcordate, emarginate, yellow. Stamens about 20. Carpels numerous, styles small c. 1 mm, subterminal, equally thickened.
Type: Described from Pamiro-Alai (LE).
A-7 Gilgit, Thui region, c. 200 km NW of Gilgit near the watershed separating Gilgit from Chitral, David J. Broadhead 20 (E), B-6 Chitral, Pasti Rabat Ghari, on steep rocky slopes, 3893 m, Haidar Ali 6519 (KUH), B-8 Baltistan Deosai Plains, ± 13,000 ft, R.R. Stewart 19979 (RAW), Kashmir, Ladak, Rungdun 3.5 km NW of Zuildo, in gully, mountains facing west, Southampton University (no collectors mentioned), 142 (K), Pensi La Zaskar, c. 16,500 ft, W. Koelz 5923 (B, MICH, US).,p>Distribution: Tajikistan & Pakistan (Chitral and Gilgit) and Kashmir.
A very high alpine perennial herb. Common in open sunny places between 3 – 3500 m. Juzepczuk (1955) erroneously put this species in Section Aureae which has pilose or sericeous indumentum (never tomentose) and has clavate styles. The indumentum in the case of Potentilla grisea is dull floccose-tomentose on the undersurfaces of the leaflets. The styles are equally thickened (never clavate).
Collected between 3,600 – 4,800 m, not so common.
