Potentilla rivalis
Encyclopedia
Potentilla rivalis is a species of cinquefoil
known by the common name brook cinquefoil. It is native to much of North America, including the southern half of Canada and the western and central United States. It grows in moist habitat, sometimes in disturbed areas. It is an annual or biennial herb producing upright stems up to half a meter tall from a taproot
. The hairy leaves are divided into three to five leaflets which are lance-shaped to oval and lined with teeth. The inflorescence
is a cluster of several flowers with tiny yellow petals no more than 2 millimeters long on a calyx of pointed sepal
s and bract
lets which are slightly longer.
Potentilla
Potentilla is the genus of typical cinquefoils, containing about 500 species of annual, biennial and perennial herbs in the rose family Rosaceae. They are generally Holarctic in distribution, though some may even be found in montane biomes of the New Guinea Highlands...
known by the common name brook cinquefoil. It is native to much of North America, including the southern half of Canada and the western and central United States. It grows in moist habitat, sometimes in disturbed areas. It is an annual or biennial herb producing upright stems up to half a meter tall from a taproot
Taproot
A taproot is an enlarged, somewhat straight to tapering plant root that grows vertically downward. It forms a center from which other roots sprout laterally.Plants with taproots are difficult to transplant...
. The hairy leaves are divided into three to five leaflets which are lance-shaped to oval and lined with teeth. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a cluster of several flowers with tiny yellow petals no more than 2 millimeters long on a calyx of pointed sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s and bract
Bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
lets which are slightly longer.