Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center


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Aquatic and Wetland Vascular Plants of the Northern Great Plains

26. Rosaceae, the Rose Family

2. Potentilla L. -- Cinquefoil

2. Potentilla norvegica L. -- Strawberryweed

Hirsute, taprooted annual or biennial (1)2-7 dm tall; stems erect to decumbent, simple or branching from the base, branched above in the inflorescence. Leaves mostly cauline, long-petioled below to subsessile above, palmately compound with 3 (rarely 5) leaflets, the leaflets elliptic to oblanceolate or obovate, 1.5-7 cm long, 0.8-4 cm wide, coarsely crenate-serrate; stipules foliaceous, ovate, mostly 1-2.5 cm long, entire or usually toothed. Flowers usually numerous and crowded in terminal cymes, not showy; sepals ovate-lanceolate, 4-6 mm long, the bractlets about as long or longer; petals yellow, obovate, 2.5-4 mm long, usually 3/4 to about as long as the sepals; stamens ca. 20; styles terminal. Achenes tan to brown, ovate, 0.6-1 mm long, the surface longitudinally ridged at maturity. Jun--Aug. Wet meadows, stream banks, ditches, shores and a variety of drier habitats; common; (Circumboreal, in N.Amer. s to NC, TX, Mex. and CA).
GIF- Distribution Map

Previous Species -- Potentilla anserina L. -- Silverweed
Return to Family -- Rosaceae - The Rose Family
Next Species -- Potentilla palustris (L.) Scop. -- Bog cinquefoil

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