Everything about Potentilla totally explained
» "Cinquefoil" redirects here. For the heraldic charge, see charge (heraldry) and quatrefoil.
Potentilla is a
genus of about 500 species of
annual,
biennial and
perennial herbs in the rose family
Rosaceae, native to most of the
Northern Hemisphere. Common names include
cinquefoil,
five-fingers,
tormentil, and
barren strawberry.
Many of the species have leaves divided into five leaflets arranged palmately (like the fingers of a hand), whence the name cinquefoil (French,
cinque feuilles, "five leaves"), though some species (for example
P. sterilis) have just three leaflets, and others (for example
P. anserina) up to 15 or more leaflets arranged pinnately. The leaves of some cinquefoils are eaten by the
larvae of some
Lepidoptera species - see
list of Lepidoptera that feed on Potentilla.
Recent
genetic research has resulted in a number of changes to the circumscription of
Potentilla (Eriksson et al., 2003).
The genera
Duchesnea,
Horkelia, and
Ivesia, previously all regarded as distinct, have been shown to be members of
Potentilla, though this change hasn't been universally adopted.
Conversely, the shrubby plant previously included in this genus as
Potentilla fruticosa, doesn't to belong to
Potentilla at all, and is now treated in the genus
Dasiphora as
Dasiphora fruticosa.
The two species formerly treated as
Potentilla palustris and
Potentilla salesowianum are now separated into the genus
Comarum, while
Potentilla tridentata is transferred to
Sibbaldiopsis as
Sibbaldiopsis tridentata, and
Potentilla arguta is similarly now separated into the genus
Drymocallis as
Drymocallis arguta.
The
silverweeds are also separable into the new genus
Argentina, though these are closer to the typical species of
Potentilla, and this separation is less well supported.
Potentilla is also related to the genera
Geum and
Dryas, and also to the
strawberries in the genus
Fragaria;
Potentilla differs from the strawberries in having dry, inedible fruit (hence the name "barren strawberry" for some species).
Some species are grown as garden plants.
About 500, including:
Previously included species
Potentilla fruticosa now reclassified as Dasiphora fruticosa Shrubby CinquefoilFurther Information
Get more info on 'Potentilla'.
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