High mountain cinquefoil facts for kids
Quick facts for kids High mountain cinquefoil |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Potentilla
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| Species: |
flabellifolia
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Potentilla flabellifolia is a wild plant known by a few cool names. People often call it the high mountain cinquefoil, fanleaf cinquefoil, or just fan-foil. It's a type of cinquefoil, which is a group of plants often found in meadows and rocky areas.
Where This Plant Lives
This special plant grows naturally in western North America. You can find it from British Columbia in Canada, all the way south through California in the United States, and even as far east as Wyoming.
It loves to live in high places, like mountains. You'll often spot it in sunny meadows during the summer. It grows from a strong root system that can spread out underground.
What This Plant Looks Like
Potentilla flabellifolia usually grows to be about 10 to 30 centimeters tall. That's roughly the length of a ruler! It can be a little bit fuzzy or almost smooth.
Leaves and Stems
Its leaves are quite interesting. Each main leaf is made up of three smaller leaflets, like a tiny clover. The leaves near the bottom of the plant are the biggest. They have long stems, called petioles, that connect them to the main plant. Each leaflet is shaped like an oval and can be up to 3 centimeters long. They have deep cuts along their edges, making them look like they have blunt teeth. As you look higher up the stem, the leaves get smaller.
Flowers
The plant produces a cluster of one or more bright yellow flowers. Each flower usually has five petals, which can be up to a centimeter long. Underneath the petals, there are pointed green parts called sepals, and even narrower pointed bractlets, which help protect the flower.
