Potentilla is the
genusIn biology, a genus is a taxonomic unit used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The term comes from Latin genus "descent, family, type, gender" , cognate with – genos, "race, stock, kin" ..In addition, genus is a taxonomic rank in the hierarchy In biology, a genus (plural:...
of
typical cinquefoils, containing about 500
speciesIn biology, a species is:* a taxonomic rank or* a unit at that rank ....
of
annualAn annual plant is a plant that usually germinates, flowers, and dies in a year or season. True annuals will only live longer than a year if they are prevented from setting seed...
,
biennialA biennial plant is a flowering plant that takes two years to complete its biological lifecycle. In the first year the plant grows leaves, stems, and roots , then it enters a period of dormancy over the colder months. Usually the stem remains very short and the leaves are low to the ground, forming...
and
perennialA perennial plant or perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. When used by gardeners or horticulturalists, this term applies specifically to perennial herbaceous plants...
herbA herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
s in the rose family
RosaceaeThe Rosaceae or rose family is a large family of plants, with about 3000 species in 100 genera . The name is derived from the genus Rosa...
. They are generally
HolarcticThe Holarctic ecozone refers to the habitats found throughout the northern continents of the world as a whole. This region is divided into the Palearctic, consisting of Northern Africa and all of Eurasia, with the exception of Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent, and the Nearctic,...
in distribution, though some may even be found in
montaneIn biogeography, montane is the highland area located below the subalpine zone. Montane regions generally have cooler temperatures and often have higher rainfall than the adjacent lowland regions, and are frequently home to distinct communities of plants and animals.The term "montane" means "of the...
biomeBiome are climatically and geographically defined areas of ecologically similar climatic conditions such as communities of plants, animals, and soil organisms, and are often referred to as ecosystems...
s of the
New Guinea HighlandsThe New Guinea Highlands, also known as the Central Range or Central Cordillera, are a chain of mountain ranges and intermountain valleys on the island of New Guinea which run generally east-west the length of the island....
. Several other "cinquefoils" formerly included here are now separated in distinct genera.
The Cinquefoil in the Middle English Dictionary, by Sherman M. Kuhn, is described as a "
Pentafilon - From Greek Pentaphyllon - influenced by foil, a leaf.
Potentilla is the
genusIn biology, a genus is a taxonomic unit used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The term comes from Latin genus "descent, family, type, gender" , cognate with – genos, "race, stock, kin" ..In addition, genus is a taxonomic rank in the hierarchy In biology, a genus (plural:...
of
typical cinquefoils, containing about 500
speciesIn biology, a species is:* a taxonomic rank or* a unit at that rank ....
of
annualAn annual plant is a plant that usually germinates, flowers, and dies in a year or season. True annuals will only live longer than a year if they are prevented from setting seed...
,
biennialA biennial plant is a flowering plant that takes two years to complete its biological lifecycle. In the first year the plant grows leaves, stems, and roots , then it enters a period of dormancy over the colder months. Usually the stem remains very short and the leaves are low to the ground, forming...
and
perennialA perennial plant or perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. When used by gardeners or horticulturalists, this term applies specifically to perennial herbaceous plants...
herbA herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
s in the rose family
RosaceaeThe Rosaceae or rose family is a large family of plants, with about 3000 species in 100 genera . The name is derived from the genus Rosa...
. They are generally
HolarcticThe Holarctic ecozone refers to the habitats found throughout the northern continents of the world as a whole. This region is divided into the Palearctic, consisting of Northern Africa and all of Eurasia, with the exception of Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent, and the Nearctic,...
in distribution, though some may even be found in
montaneIn biogeography, montane is the highland area located below the subalpine zone. Montane regions generally have cooler temperatures and often have higher rainfall than the adjacent lowland regions, and are frequently home to distinct communities of plants and animals.The term "montane" means "of the...
biomeBiome are climatically and geographically defined areas of ecologically similar climatic conditions such as communities of plants, animals, and soil organisms, and are often referred to as ecosystems...
s of the
New Guinea HighlandsThe New Guinea Highlands, also known as the Central Range or Central Cordillera, are a chain of mountain ranges and intermountain valleys on the island of New Guinea which run generally east-west the length of the island....
. Several other "cinquefoils" formerly included here are now separated in distinct genera.
The Cinquefoil in the Middle English Dictionary, by Sherman M. Kuhn, is described as a "
Pentafilon - From Greek Pentaphyllon - influenced by foil, a leaf. The European cinquefoil (Potentilla reptans), often used medicinally."
The spelling of Cinquefoil" comes from Old French "cinc" and Middle English "cink," both meaning "five," while "feuille and foil (foille)” means leaf. It refers to five leaved plants, including the Potentilla. In Mediaeval times, the word “Cinquefoil” was used almost exclusively in England. In France, the Potentilla was called a “Quintefeuille,” first found in Normandy and Bretagne (Brittany), France, in the 11th century. The word stems from the Latin,
"quinque."
Depiction of it’s five-petaled flower appears as early as 1033, in the architecture of the church built in the Village of Reulle de Vergy, Bourgogne (Burgundy), France, two years before the reign of William the Conqueror. It was used generously in the architecture of numerous churches built in Normandy and Bretagne (Brittany), through the 15th century. It is said the plant originated in Denmark. While others say it made it’s way there from Japan.
The flower of the Potentilla, or Quintefeuille (cinquefoil), has five petals. In A Dictionarie of the French and English Tongues, compiled by Randle Cotgrave, 1611, the French word “Potentille” is defined as a “wild Tansie, a silver weed,” (any of several composite plants of the genus Tanacetum, latin, 1225, esp. a strong-scented, weedy, Old World herb, T. vulgare, having flat-topped clusters of tubular yellow flowers.) The word “Potentiel: m. elle:f. - Strong, forcible, powerfull in operation,” from the French word “Potence,” meaning strong, powerful, mighty and potent. The origin of the words stem from the Latin “Potens” - of the exact same meaning.
From the 11th to 14th century, the word “Potence” was used mainly in connection with the military and to describe the condition of the soul. During the time of William the Conqueror, the Potentilla was used as an emblem on the Coats of Arms of Bardolph, (of Bretagne), who, in 1066, was the master of the Conqueror’s military engineer corp. In 1097, several of the soldier knights of Richard II, brother of William, carried the Potentilla flower on their arms. In Heraldry, the symbol of the Potentilla signified strength, power, honor and loyalty.
Some species are called
tormentils, though this often is used as a shorthand for Common Tormentil (P. erecta
). Others are referred to as "barren strawberries", which may also refer to P. sterilis
in particular, or to the closely related but not congenerA congener has several different meanings depending on the field in which it is used. Colloquially, it is used to mean a person or thing like another, in character or action.-Biology:...
ic Waldsteinia fragarioidesThe Barren Strawberry, or also Waldsteinia fragarioides is a low, spreading plant with showy yellow flowers that appear in early spring...
.
The name seems to be based on a fusion of ancient names for these plants: Common Tormentil was known as tormentilla
in Medieval LatinMedieval Latin was the form of Latin used in the Middle Ages, primarily as a medium of scholarly exchange and as the liturgical language of the medieval Roman Catholic Church, but also as a language of science, literature, law, and administration. Despite the clerical origin of many of its authors,...
, derived from early Spanish – literally "a little torment", meaning painPhysical Pain is the unpleasant feeling common to a headache and a stubbed toe. It typically consists of negative affect and aversion, and has location, duration, intensity and a distinctive quality...
that while not debilitating is unpleasant and persistent (such as a belly ache, against which P. erecta
was used). The change from initial "t" to "p" seems to have been influenced by terms such as poterium
– Latin for the related burnetSanguisorba is a genus of perennial herbs or small shrubs in the family Rosaceae, native to the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The common name is Burnet. The stems grow to 50-200 cm tall, with a cluster of basal leaves, and further leaves arranged alternately up the stem...
s (Sanguisorba
) –, or propedila
and similar words used for the Creeping CinquefoilCreeping Cinquefoil or Creeping Tormentil is a plant in the Rosaceae family.It is a creeping perennial plant native to the UK and introduced to the U.S. Its trailing stems root at the nodes. Leaves are borne on long stalks. It blooms in June - August with yellow flowers that have 5 heart-shaped...
(P. reptans) in the now-extinct
Dacian languageThe Dacian language was spoken by the ancient inhabitants of Dacia. It belongs to the Indo-European language family.Dacian is often considered to be a dialect of the same language as Thracian or to be a separate language from Thracian but closely related to it. -Characteristics and sources:Many...
, as attested in Latin
herbalA[n] herbal is a book, often illustrated, that describes the appearance, medicinal properties, and other characteristics of plants used in herbal medicine...
s.
Description and ecology
Typical cinquefoils look most similar to the strawberries, but differ in usually having dry, inedible fruit (hence the name "barren strawberry" for some species). Many cinquefoil species have leaves divided into five leaflets arranged palmately like the fingers of a hand. Some species, such as the Barren Strawberry, have just three leaflets, and others (e.g. P. anserina) up to 15 or more leaflets arranged pinnately. The flowers are usually yellow, but may be white, pinkish or even red; the
accessory fruitAn accessory fruit, false fruit, spurious fruit, or pseudocarp is a fruit in which some or all of the flesh is derived not from the ovary but from some adjacent tissue. A fig is a type of accessory fruit called a syconium. Pomes, such as apples and pears, are also accessory fruits, with the core...
are usually dry but may be fleshy and
strawberryFragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. There are more than 20 described species and many hybrids and cultivars. The most common strawberries grown commercially are cultivars of the Garden strawberry...
-like, while the actual seeds – each one technically a single fruit – are tiny
nutNut is a general term for the large, dry, oily seeds or fruit of some plants. While a wide variety of dried seeds and fruits are called nuts in English, only a certain number of them are considered by biologists to be true nuts. Nuts are an important source of nutrients for both humans and...
s.
Cinquefouls are a prominent part of many
ecosystemAn ecosystem is a system of interdependent organisms which share the same habitat, in an area functioning together with all of the physical factors of the environment. Ecosystems can be permanent or temporary. Ecosystems usually form a number of food webs...
s. In the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
alone, Common Tormentil (P. erecta
) together with Purple Moor GrassPurple Moor Grass is a perennial grass native to Europe, west Asia, and north Africa. It grows in locations from the lowlands up to 2300 m in the Alps. Like most grasses, it grows best in acid soils, ideally pH values of between 3.5 to 5, however, it can continue to live under more extreme...
(Molinia caerulea
) defines many grassy mireMiré is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France....
s, and grows abundantly in the typical deciduous forest rich in Downy BirchBetula pubescens is a species of birch, native and abundant throughout northern Europe, Iceland, northern Asia and also Greenland....
(Betula pubescens
) Common Wood-sorrel (Oxalis acetosella
) and Sessile OakThe Sessile Oak , also known as Durmast Oak, is a species of oak native to most of Europe, and into Anatolia.-Description:...
(Quercus petraea
). In upland pastures on calcareousCalcareous is an adjective meaning mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate, in other words, containing lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines.-In zoology:...
soil it typically accompanies Common Bent (Agrostis capillaris
), Sheep's FescueSheep's Fescue or Sheep Fescue is a species of grass.-General Description:It is a perennial plant sometimes found in acidic bogs, for example in the Portlethen Moss, Scotland and mountain pasture, throughout Europe and eastwards across much of Asia; it has also been introduced to eastern North...
(Festuca ovina
) and Mother-of-Thyme (Thymus praecox
). The boggy heathlands of southern BritainThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
dominated by Bristle Bent (A. curtisii
) and Western Gorse (Ulex gallii
) as well as those on The LizardThe Lizard is a peninsula of Cornwall, and contains the most southerly point of mainland Cornwall and of the island of Great Britain, Lizard Point. The peninsula measures approximately x...
peninsula, characterized by Cornish HeathThe Cornish heath is a species of heath that bears pink flowers and mid-green foliage. This is a shrub, reaching 0.75 m by 0.75 m. Its English name comes from the fact that, in Great Britain, it is only found on the Lizard peninsula in Cornwall, where the unusual geology gives rise to the alkaline...
(Erica vagans
) and Black Bog-rush (Schoenus nigricans
), are also usually inhabited by the Common Tormentil. But it is most commonly seen in regions dominated by Common Heather (Calluna vulgaris
) – be it the common lowland heaths rich in Bell Heather (Erica cinerea
), maritime heath where Spring Squill (Scilla verna
) grows in abundance, the submontane heaths of the north dominated by the peat moss Sphagnum capillifolium
and BilberryBilberry is any of several species of low-growing shrubs in the genus Vaccinium , bearing edible fruits. The species most often referred to is Vaccinium myrtillus L., but there are several other closely related species....
(Vaccinium myrtillus
), or montaneIn biogeography, montane is the highland area located below the subalpine zone. Montane regions generally have cooler temperatures and often have higher rainfall than the adjacent lowland regions, and are frequently home to distinct communities of plants and animals.The term "montane" means "of the...
heathlands of ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
with plentiful Alpine Juniper (Juniperus communis
ssp. alpina
).
Spring Cinquefoil (P. neumanniana
) on the other hand is rare in Britain, found generally only in some southern calcareous grasslandCalcareous grassland is an ecosystem associated with thin basic soil, such as that on chalk and limestone downland. Plants on calcareous grassland are typically short and hardy, and include grasses and herbs such as trefoil...
s rich in Sheep's Fescue; in the southwest it associates with Carline Thistle (Carlina vulgaris
), whereas in the southeast it is usually accompanied by Mouse-ear HawkweedMouse-ear Hawkweed is a yellow-flowered species of Asteraceae, native to Europe and northern Asia. It produces single, citrus-colored inflorescences. It is an allelopathic plant...
(Hieracium pilosella
) and either or both Mother-of-Thyme and Large Thyme (T. pulegioides
).
The leaves of some cinquefoils are eaten by the caterpillarCaterpillars are the larval form of a member of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly phytophagous in food habit, with some species being entomophagous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered pests in agriculture...
s of some LepidopteraLepidoptera is an order of insects that includes moths and butterflies. It is one of the most speciose orders in the class Insecta, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
(butterflies and mothA moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. The differences between butterflies and moths are more than just taxonomy. Sometimes the names "Rhopalocera" and "Heterocera" are used to formalize the popular distinction...
s), in particular grizzled skippersPyrgus is a genus in the Skippers butterfly family, Hesperiidae, known as the grizzled skippers. The name 'Grizzled Skipper' best describes this genus, but in some countries the name 'Checkered Skipper' or 'Chequered Skipper' is applied to some species...
(Pyrgus
) of the Hesperiidae; see list of Lepidoptera that feed on Potentilla. The plants' flowers are also occasionally visited by adult Lepidoptera; the endangered Karner BlueThe Karner Blue, Lycaeides melissa samuelis, is a small, blue butterfly found in small areas of New Jersey, the Great Lakes region, southern New Hampshire, and the Capital District region of New York. The butterfly, whose lifecycle depends on the wild blue lupine flower , is classified as an...
(Lycaeides melissa samuelis
) for example includes nectar of Common Cinquefoil (P. simplex
) among its common food sources. Polish CochinealPolish cochineal , also known as Polish carmine scales, is a scale insect formerly used to produce a crimson dye of the same name, colloquially known as "Saint John's blood". The larvae of P...
(Porphyrophora polonica
), in former times commercially important in crimsonCrimson is a strong, bright, deep red color combined with some blue, resulting in a tiny degree of purple. It is originally the color of the dye produced from a scale insect, Kermes vermilio, but the name is now also used for slightly bluish-red colors in general that are between red and...
dyeA dye can generally be described as a colored substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. The dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution, and may require a mordant to improve the fastness of the dye on the fiber....
production, is a notable parasiteParasitism is a type of symbiotic relationship between organisms of different species where one organism, the parasite, benefits at the expense of the host....
of cinquefoils on sandy soils of Eastern EuropeEastern Europe is a region lying in the Eastern part of Europe. The term is highly context-dependent and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
and western AsiaAsia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.6% of the earth's total surface area and with approximately 4 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population.Asia is traditionally defined as part of the...
.
Use by humans
Some of the typical cinquefoils are grown as ornamental plantOrnamental plants are typically grown in the flower garden or as house plants. Most commonly they are grown for the display of their flowers. Other common ornamental features include leaves, scent, fruit, stem and bark. In some cases, unusual features may be considered ornamental, such as the...
s. These are generally high species with bright, showy flowers, such as P. atrosanguinea
, P. nepalensis
and Sulphur Cinquefoil (P. recta
). Horticultural hybrids such as Hopwood's Cinquefoil (P. × hopwoodiana
) and Tongue Cinquefoil (P. × tonguei
) have also been bred, and there exists a range of cultivarA cultivar is a cultivated plant that has been selected and given a unique name because of desired characteristics; it is usually distinct from similar plants and when propagated it retains those characteristics....
s. Even double-flowered"Double-flowered" describes varieties of flowers with extra petals, often containing flowers within flowers. The double-flowered trait is often noted alongside the scientific name with the abbreviation fl. pl....
cinquefoils have been bred, starting with Victor LemoineVictor Lemoine was a celebrated and prolific French flower breeder who, among other accomplishments, created many of today's lilac varieties...
's 1854 'Gloire de Nancy'. Spring Cinquefoil (P. neumanniana
) is the floral emblemIn a number of countries, plants have been chosen as symbols to represent specific geographic areas. Some countries have a country-wide floral emblem; others in addition have symbols representing subdivisions. Different processes have been used to adopt these symbols - some are conferred by...
of CromartyshireCromartyshire was a county in the Highlands of Scotland, consisting of a main portion between Sutherland and Ross-shire and a series of exclaves within Ross-shire. Ross-shire and Cromartyshire were combined as the single county of Ross and Cromarty by the Local Government Act 1889, and this...
.
Some species are used in herbalismHerbalism is a traditional medicinal or folk medicine practice based on the use of plants and plant extracts. Herbalism is also known as botanical medicine, medical herbalism, herbal medicine, herbology, and phytotherapy...
. P. fragarioidesPotentilla fragariodes is a member of the Rosaceae family that is native to Asia.-Ethnomedical uses:The stem is boiled for use as a hemostatic in Traditional Chinese Medicine ....
contains D-CatechinCatechin is a polyphenolic antioxidant plant metabolite. The term catechin is also commonly used to refer to the related family of flavonoids and the subgroup flavan-3-ols ....
and is used as a hemostatic in Traditional Chinese MedicineTraditional Chinese Medicine, also known as TCM , includes a range of traditional medical practices originating in China. Although well accepted in the mainstream of medical care throughout East Asia, it is considered an alternative medical system in much of the western world.TCM practices include...
, while Common Tormentil (P. erecta) was similarly used in
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
an
folk medicineFolk medicine refers to healing practices and ideas of body physiology and health preservation widely known to much of the population in a culture, transmitted informally as general knowledge, and practiced or applied by anyone in the culture . All cultures and societies have knowledge best...
, and also to treat
diarrheaIn medicine, diarrhea , also spelled diarrhoea , is the condition of having frequent loose or liquid bowel movements. Acute diarrhea is a common cause of death in developing countries and the second most common cause of infant deaths worldwide...
and other gastrointestinal ailments. It is rich in
flavonoidFlavonoids , also collectively known as Vitamin P and citrin, are a class of plant secondary metabolites. According to the IUPAC nomenclature, they can be classified into:...
s,
saponinSaponins are a class of chemical compounds, one of many secondary metabolites found in natural sources, with saponins found in particular abundance in various plant species...
s,
tanninTannins are astringent, bitter plant polyphenols that either bind and precipitate or shrink proteins. The astringency from the tannins is what causes the dry and puckery feeling in the mouth following the consumption of unripened fruit or red wine...
s, as well as
phenolPhenol, also known as carbolic acid, is a toxic, white crystalline solid. Its chemical formula is C6H5OH and its structure is that of a hydroxyl group bonded to a phenyl ring, making it an aromatic compound.-Phenols:...
and the
glycosideIn chemistry, glycosides are molecules in which a sugar is bound to a non-carbohydrate moiety, usually a small organic molecule. Glycosides play numerous important roles in living organisms. Many plants store chemicals in the form of inactive glycosides; which can be activated by enzyme hydrolysis....
tormentilline, and has been shown to be bacteriostatic and virostatic. It also contains the red
dyeA dye can generally be described as a colored substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. The dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution, and may require a mordant to improve the fastness of the dye on the fiber....
tormentole and was sometimes used to colour leather and other materials in former times.
Common Tormentil has also been used in
transplant researchA transplant experiment is an experiment where one or more organisms are transplanted from one environment to another environment. In a usual common garden experiment, two species of plants growing in their native environments would both be transplanted in a common environment...
, demonstrating that these are useful to distinguish between
subspeciesSubspecies in biological classification, is 1) a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, or 2) a taxonomic unit, a taxon in that rank...
, and
formIn botanical nomenclature, a form is a low-level taxonomic rank below that of variety; it is an infraspecific taxon. Its name consists of three parts: a genus name, a specific epithet, and an infraspecific epithet...
s and varieties: the former are distinct populations with strongly heritable traits, while the latter two have distinguishing traits produced by ecological conditions and often not inheritable.
Systematics and taxonomy
Analysis of
internal transcribed spacerITS refers to a piece of non-functional RNA situated between structural ribosomal RNAs on a common precursor transcript. Read from 5' to 3', this polycistronic rRNA precursor transcript contains the 5' external transcribed sequence , 18S rRNA, ITS1, 5.8S rRNA, ITS2, 26S rRNA and finally the 3'ETS...
DNA sequenceA DNA sequence or genetic sequence is a succession of letters representing the primary structure of a real or hypothetical DNA molecule or strand, with the capacity to carry information as described by the central dogma of molecular biology....
data has yielded valuable information on cinquefoil relationships, supporting previous hypotheses about their relationships but also resulting in a number of changes to the circumscription of Potentilla
:
Among the RosidaeUnder the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature Rosidae is a botanical name at the rank of subclass. Circumscription of the subclass will vary with the taxonomic system being used; the only requirement being that it includes the family Rosaceae....
, the typical cinquefoils are close relatives of such plants as the avens of genus GeumGeum , the Avens, is a genus of about 50 species of perennial herbaceous plants in the rose family Rosaceae, native to Europe, Asia, North and South America, Africa and New Zealand...
and the roses (RosaA rose is a perennial flower shrub or vine of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae, that contains over 100 species and comes in a variety of colours. The species form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles...
), and even closer relatives of the agrimonies (Agrimonia
). Yet more closely related to Potentilla
are the lady's mantles (AlchemillaAlchemilla is a genus of herbaceous perennial plants in the Rosaceae, and a popular garden herb with the common name Lady's mantle. There are about 300 species, the majority native to cool temperate and subarctic regions of Europe and Asia, with a few species native to the mountains of Africa,...
) and strawberries (Fragaria
). The avens of genus DryasDryas is a genus of dwarf perennial herbaceous plants in the rose family Rosaceae, native to the arctic and alpine regions of Europe, Asia and North America. The genus is named after the Greek nymph Dryas. The classification of Dryas within the Rosaceae has been unclear...
are not as closely related as long believed though.
The genera Duchesnea
(Mock Strawberry), HorkeliaHorkelia is a genus of plants in the rose family. It includes several species of plants known commonly as horkelias. These are flowering plants closely related to the cinquefoils and sometimes considered part of the same genus. There are nineteen species found in western North America, especially...
(horkelias), and IvesiaIvesia is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family known generally as mousetails. They are perennial herbs native to western North America, especially the western United States...
(mousetails), previously all regarded as distinct, are often but not universally included in Potentilla
today. Conversely, the shrubA shrub or bush is a horticultural rather than strictly botanical category of woody plant, distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and lower height, usually less than 5-6 m tall. A large number of plants can be either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
by plants previously included in this genus are well distinct and now separated in the genus DasiphoraDasiphora is a genus of three species of shrubs in the rose family Rosaceae, native to Asia, with one species D. fruticosa , with a circumpolar range across the entire cool temperate Northern Hemisphere. In the past, the genus was normally included in Potentilla as Potentilla sect...
, while some distinctive and apparently protocarnivorousA protocarnivorous plant , according to some definitions, traps and kills insects or other animals but lacks the ability to either directly digest or absorb nutrients from its prey like a carnivorous plant...
herbaceous cinquefoils are placed in DrymocallisDrymocallis is a genus of plants formerly included with the typical cinquefoils . It contains three species known or suspected to be protocarnivorous, but more cinquefoils might eventually be moved here:...
. Marsh Cinquefoil and the disputed Potentilla salesowianum
are now separated into the genus ComarumComarum is a genus of plants formerly included with the typical cinquefoils . It contains one or two species:* Comarum palustre – Marsh Cinquefoil, Swamp Cinquefoil* Comarum salesowianum Comarum is a genus of plants formerly included with the typical cinquefoils (Potentilla). It contains one...
, and the Three-toothed Cinquefoil is transferred to the monotypicIn biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one type. The usage differs slightly between botany and zoology:In botany, a monotypic taxon is a taxon that has only one species: Ginkgo is a monotypic genus, while Ginkgoaceae is a monotypic family...
genus Sibbaldiopsis
. As already proposed by John HillJohn Hill , called from his Swedish honours, "Sir" John Hill, was an English author and botanist. He contributed to contemporary periodicals and was awarded the title of Sir in recognition of his illustrated botanical compendium The Vegetable System.He was the son of the Rev. Theophilus Hill and is...
in the 18th centuryThe 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini/Common Era numbering system.However, Western historians sometimes specifically define the 18th century otherwise for the purposes of their work...
, the silverweedArgentina anserina, called known as Common Silverweed, Silverweed Cinquefoil or just "silverweed", is a flowering perennial plant in the rose family Rosaceae. It is native throughout the temperate Northern Hemisphere, often on river shores and in grassy habitats such as meadows and road-sides...
s are probably also separable as genus Argentina
, though as it seems they are the immediate sister genus of Potentilla: as the boundary between them remains to be defined in detail, it is not inconceivable that the silverweeds will in the future again be included with the typical cinquefoils in a single genus.