Potentilla elegans : Elegant Cinquefoil

Scientific Name:

Kingdom: Plantae

Division:

• Tracheophyta (vascular)
• Spermatophyta (seed bearing)
Angiospermae (enclosed seed)

Class: Dicoteldonae (two seed-leaves)

Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family)

Genera: Potentilla (Cinquefoil) (Lat. potens=powerful; referring to the strengh of the medicine from some species)

Species: elegans (Elegant)

English Name(s):

Elegant Cinquefoil,

First Nation Names:

Structure:

• Loosely caespitose (tufted) dwarf plants.
• Flowering stems erect, ascndeing from a much-branched caudex (base).
• Caudex thickly covered with reddish brown marcescent (withered) leaf bases.

Leaves:

• All basal.
• Ternately divided, about 1 cm in diameter.
• Leaflets broadly ovate, deeply cut into blunt lobes, cunate at base, glabrous (hairless) or soft-ciliate (maginal hairs).

Reproductive Parts:

• Flowers small, single, terminal, barely overtoping leaves.
• Sepals 5, alternating with sepal like bracteoles.
• Petals 5, obovate in shape, 2-4mm long, slightly longer than the calyx (sepal) lobes, pale yellow.

Seed:

• Fruit is a small, dry, seedlike, achene (nutlet).

Not to Be Confused With:

• Potentilla biflora (Two-flower Cinquefoil) which has more deeply lobed leaves, and flowers are often in twos.
• Potentilla hyparctica (Arctic Cinquefoil), Potentilla norvegica (Snowy Cinquefoil), Potentilla nivea, Potentilla uniflora (One-flower Cinquefoil), all of which have basal and cauline (stem) leaves.

Physiology:

Life Cycle:

• Perennial

Seasonal Cycle:

• Leaves deciduous (falling).

Animal Uses:

Habitat:

• High alpine species of rocky or gravelly places.

Modern:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food:

Traditional Gwich'in:

Folklore:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food:

Traditional Other:

Folklore:

• In astrology Potentilla are said to be governed by Jupiter.
• In the Victorian Language of Flowers these plants symbolized "beloved daughter" or " I claim, at least, your esteem".
• Potentilla were said to flourish in the gardens of witches. One of few yellow flowers they cared for.

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food: