Potentilla anserina : Silverweed

Scientific Name:

Kingdom: Plantae

Division:

• Tracheophyta (vascular)
• Spermatophyta (seed bearing)
Angiospermae (enclosed seed)

Class: Dicoteldonae (two seed-leaves)

Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family)

Genera: Potentilla (Cinquefoil) (Lat. potens=powerful; referring to the strengh of the medicine from some species)

Species: anserina (Lat. anser= goose; probably because geese are fond of it.)

Synonym(s): P.yukonensis, P.egedii ssp.yukonensis

English Name(s):

Silverweed, Silver Cinquefoil, Goose Tansy

First Nation Names:

Structure:

• With long pubescent (hairy) stolons (runners), freely rooting.

Leaves:

• All basal.
• Pinnate.
• Leaflets 5-17, main leaflets interspersed with smaller ones.
• Leaflets oval to oblong in shape.
• Margins coarsely serrate (toothed).
• Upper surface green and more or less pubescent.
• Under surface paler and somewhat pubescent to tomentos (woolly).
• Leaflets 6-55mm long by 3-26mm wide.

Reproductive Parts:

• Flowers are showy, perfect (bisexual) and solitary.
• Scapes (stalks) leafless, glabrous (hairless) to pubescent, 3-25cm high.
• Sepals 5, 3-8mm long glabrous to pubescent, alternating with small bracts.
• Petals 5, 8-15mm long, yellow.

Seed:

• Fruit is a small, dry, seedlike, achene (nutlet).
• Achenes 1.5-2mm long with a shallow furrow on the back.

Not to Be Confused With:

• Geum rossii (Ross's Aven) which looks similar but lacks stolons, its flowering stems are erect, and its pinnate leaves have lobed rather than serrated leaflets.

Physiology:

Life Cycle:

• Perennial.

Seasonal Cycle:

• Blooms in early July.
• Leaves deciduous (falling).

Animal Uses:

• This plant provides food for many wildlife species.

Habitat:

• Gravelly or sandy lakeshores or riverbanks, disturbed sites, and moist open grassy areas.
• A common weed near settlements.

Modern:

Industrial:

• Flowers produce a bright yellow dye.
• Plants are easily transplanted.

Medicinal:

• 5ml added to 250ml milk, scald and drink warm is said to be good for menstral cramps, colic, aid digestion, break a fever, or treat asthma or whooping cough.
• To make a gargle to relieve sore throat, toothache, sore gums, or to help tighten loose teeth, 30g dried, crushed plant and 5ml alum is mixed with 500ml vinegar, boiled until volume is 2/3 original.

Food:

• Roots are a good source of starch.
• Roots in the spring are said to taste like parsnips, chestnuts, or sweet potatoes. They can be eaten raw or roasted, fried or boiled and served with butter.
• Roots make an excellent salad or relish ingredient and can be dried for storage.

Traditional Gwich'in:

Folklore:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food:

Traditional Other:

Folklore:

• In astrology Potentilla are said to be governed by Jupiter.
• In the Victorian Language of Flowers these plants symbolized "beloved daughter" or " I claim, at least, your esteem".
• Potentilla were said to flourish in the gardens of witches. One of few yellow flowers they cared for.

Industrial:

Medicinal:

• Have been used since the middle ages in the treatment of cancers.
• It was also said to fix loose teath, relieve tooth ache, and to protect teeth and gums from scurvy.
• Plant infusion was taken to increase urine flow and remove calcium deposits from the urinary passages.

Food:

• Some native groups collected the roots in autumn or from exposed banks in winter as they were said to taste best in cold months.