Rough cinquefoil facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rough cinquefoil |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Rosaceae |
| Genus: | Potentilla |
| Species: |
P. norvegica
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| Binomial name | |
| Potentilla norvegica |
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| Subspecies | |
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| Synonyms | |
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Potentilla ruthenica Willd. |
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Potentilla norvegica is a type of plant called a cinquefoil. People also know it as rough cinquefoil, ternate-leaved cinquefoil, or Norwegian cinquefoil. This plant naturally grows in Europe, Asia, and parts of North America. You can also find it in other places where humans have brought it. When a plant is found somewhere it doesn't naturally grow, it's called an introduced species.
What Does It Look Like?
Norwegian cinquefoil is usually an annual plant. This means it lives for only one growing season. Sometimes, it can be a short-lived perennial, living for a few years.
The plant starts with a group of leaves at its base. These leaves grow from a main root called a taproot. Then, a green or red stem grows straight up. It can reach about 50 centimeters (about 20 inches) tall. The stem has branches near the top.
The leaves have stalks and are often divided into five small parts called leaflets. Some leaves have three leaflets, with the end one split into three smaller parts. The leaves at the base have narrow, pointed stipules. Stipules are small leaf-like parts at the base of a leaf stalk. The upper leaves have oval-shaped stipules. These stipules are longer than the leaf stalks. Each leaflet can be up to 5 centimeters (about 2 inches) long. They are wide and shaped like a spear, with edges that look like tiny teeth.
The flowers grow in a cluster called a cyme. Each flower has five round, yellow petals. These petals are very small, less than 4 millimeters (about 0.16 inches) long. Inside the petals is a cup-like part called a calyx. The calyx is made of hairy, pointed sepals with reddish tips. Each flower has twenty stamens, which are the parts that make pollen. It also has many pistils, which are the parts that receive pollen. After the flower blooms, the calyx grows longer. The fruit is a group of light brown achenes. An achene is a small, dry fruit that contains one seed.
Where Does It Grow?
Norwegian cinquefoil is native to many parts of Europe, Asia, and North America. It can also be found in other places around the world. In these other places, it was brought there by people.
You can often find this plant in farm fields and gardens. It also grows on banks, along hedgerows, and in areas that are not used, like wasteland. It likes places where trees have been cut down or where things are loaded and unloaded. Sometimes, it grows on shores. It often prefers sandy or gravelly soils.
