Potentilla canadensis (Canadian dwarf cinquefoil)

Potentilla canadensis L.

Canadian dwarf cinquefoil, dwarf cinquefoil

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Rosidae	Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more
Order	Rosales	Rose family and eight others
Family	Rosaceae	Includes apples, apricots, plums, cherries, peaches, pears, raspberries, strawberries, almonds, roses, meadowsweets, photinias, firethorns, rowans, and hawthorns; many others
Genus	Potentilla	Latin for “powerful,” for the medicinal qualities of some species
Species	canadensis	“From Canada”

About plant names...

Canadian dwarf cinquefoil is a North American native. “Cinquefoil” means five-leaved. These low plants remind me of wild strawberries, except that the flowers are yellow.

Identification: Plants are 2-6" (5-15 cm) high, with hairy reddish stems. Leaves are palmate, that is, split into five palmlike leaflets, each leaflet up to 1½" (3.8 cm) long. The top half of each leaflet is toothed. Flowers are yellow, with five petals, ¼-½" (6.3-12 mm) in diameter, appearing from May to the middle of June.

Online References:

Potentilla canadensis on

Potentilla canadensis at Illinois Wildflowers

Potentilla canadensis on Southeastern Flora, the Southeastern U.S. Plant Identification Resource

Potentilla canadensis on www.henriettes-herb.com

Potentilla canadensis on plants.ces.ncsu.edu

Potentilla canadensis on Wildflowers of the United States

Potentilla canadensis at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Potentilla canadensis on www.cumauriceriver.org