Potentilla uniflora : One-flower Cinquefoil

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: uniflora (Lat. unus = one + flos = flower; referring to the single flowers of these plants.)

Synonym(s): P. ledebouriana

English Name(s):

One-flower Cinquefoil, Singleflower Cinquefoil, Villous Cinquefoil

First Nation Names:

Structure:

• Plant densely to loosely caespitose (tufted).
• Caudex (base) firm, subligneous (subwoody), banching, covered with long-marcescent (withered) brown or blackened remains of leaves.
• Stems erect-ascending, 5-25cm high, simple or branched.

Leaves:

• Mainly basal.
• Basal leaves petioled (stalked), ternately divided, 1-8cm long.
• Petioles long silky pubescent (hairy).
• Leaflets broadly cuneate to obovate in shape, with 5-7 acute teeth, green and more or less pubescent above, white-tomentos (woolly) and long silky hairy below.

Reproductive Parts:

• Flowers one to 3, conspicuous, rerely over 15mm across.
• Sepals 5, 3.8-6mm long, ovate-lanceolate (in shape).
• Bracteoles 5, alternating with sepals, narrowly lanceolate to oblong in shape, distinctly longer than the sepals.
• Petals 5, deep yellow, 6-11mm long, notched at the tip.

Seed:

• Fruit is a small, dry, seedlike, achene (nutlet).
• Achenes several to many, 1-1.5mm long.

Not to Be Confused With:

• Potentilla norvegica (Snowy Cinquefoil) whose sepals are longer than its petals.
• Potentilla hyparctica (Arctic Cinquefoil) lacks marcescent (withered) leaves.
• Potentilla nivea whose leaflets are less pointy toothed.
• Potentilla elegans (Elegant Cinquefoil) which has lobed leaflets.

Physiology:

Life Cycle:

• Perennial

Seasonal Cycle:

• Leaves marcescent (withering) but not falling for some time.
• Blooms in early July and is finnished by third week of that month.

Animal Uses:

Habitat:

• Rocky and gravelly alpine slopes.
• Rocky outcrops and gravelly soils in tundra and heathlands.

Modern:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food:

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:

Food: