Common Name:
Cinquefoil
About 500 species of mostly perennial herbs (also annual and biennial forms) and shrubs. Leaves alternate, compound (palmate and pinnate or trifoliate), leaflet margins often toothed. Flowers usually saucer-shaped, 5 petals, yellow, white, and red. Fruit nutlet-like, small, hard. Native to the Northern Hemisphere
Potentilla: from the Latin potens, powerful, a reference to alleged medicinal properties of the plant.
Pronunciation:
po-ten-TIL-a
Family:
Rosacease