POTENTILLA

(Redirected from Cinquefoil)

:''"Cinquefoil" redirects here. For the heraldic charge, see 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 (e.g. ''P. sterilis'') have just three leaflets, and others (e.g. ''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 which 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 has not been universally adopted.
Conversely, the shrubby plant previously included in this genus as ''Potentilla fruticosa'', does not 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.
==Species==
About 500, including:


★ ''Potentilla alba'' White Cinquefoil

★ ''Potentilla alchemilloides'' Alchemilla-leaved Cinquefoil

★ ''Potentilla anglica'' Trailing Tormentil

★ ''Potentilla argentea'' Hoary Cinquefoil

★ ''Potentilla arguta'' Tall Cinquefoil

★ ''Potentilla canadensis'' Canadian Cinquefoil

★ ''Potentilla chamissonis'' Bluff Cinquefoil

★ ''Potentilla cinerea'' Grey Cinquefoil

★ ''Potentilla crantzii'' Alpine Cinquefoil

★ ''Potentilla erecta'' Common tormentil

★ ''Potentilla fragarioides'' Cinquefoil

★ ''Potentilla glandulosa'' Sticky Cinquefoil

★ ''Potentilla hickmanii'' Hickman's potentilla

★ ''Potentilla hookeriana'' Hooker's Cinquefoil

★ ''Potentilla indica'' Mock Strawberry

★ ''Potentilla micrantha'' Pink Barren strawberry

★ ''Potentilla norvegica'' Norwegian Cinquefoil

★ ''Potentilla palustris'' Marsh Cinquefoil

★ ''Potentilla pamirica''

★ ''Potentilla pensylvanica'' Pennsylvania Cinquefoil

★ ''Potentilla pulvinaris'' Pennsylvania Cinquefoil

★ ''Potentilla recta'' Sulphur Cinquefoil

★ ''Potentilla reptans'' Creeping tormentil

★ ''Potentilla robbinsiana'' Robbins' Cinquefoil

★ ''Potentilla rupestris'' Rock Cinquefoil

★ ''Potentilla simplex'' Oldfield Cinquefoil

★ ''Potentilla sterilis'' Barren Strawberry

★ ''Potentilla tabernaemontani'' Spring Cinquefoil

★ ''Potentilla thurberi'' Scarlet Cinquefoil

Contents

Previously included species

References

Previously included species

★ ''Potentilla fruticosa'' now reclassified as ''Dasiphora fruticosa'' Shrubby Cinquefoil

References

Eriksson, T., Hibbs, M. S., Yoder, A. D. Delwiche, C. F. & Donoghue, M. J. (2003). The Phylogeny of Rosoideae. ''Int. J. Plant Sci.'' 164(2): 197–211. Available online (pdf file)