Common Cinquefoil, Decumbent Five-finger, Old Field Cinquefoil - Potentilla simplex
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Potentilla simplex - Common Cinquefoil, Decumbent Five-finger, Old Field Cinquefoil. There is a Potentilla species found in every state in the U.S. except Hawaii, and in every province in Canada. Potentilla simplex is a species of the eastern half of North America, being found from the plains states to the east coast, excluding Florida. This plant, while native to the United States and Canada, can be weedy and is listed in the USDA Introduced, Invasive, and Noxious Plants list.
Found in:
AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV
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Distribution of Potentilla simplex in the United States and Canada:
Map courtesy of The Biota of North America Program.
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| | Site: Walker County, GA Date: 2013-May-17 | Photographer: Gerald C. Williamson
Nikon D7000
Tamron SP 90MM f/2.8 AF Macro | | The leaf of Potentilla simplex is palmately compound with 5 leaflets (from which comes the common name Cinquefoil.) The leaflets are up to 3 inches long and are toothed for about two-thirds the distance from the tip. Potentilla canadensis - Dwarf Cinquefoil - is similar, but rarely grows more than 4 inches tall, and the leaves are shorter (up to 1.5 inches long) and toothed only for half their length. | | 
| | Site: Walker County, GA Date: 2013-May-17 | Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Nikon D7000 | | Potentilla simplex has 5 yellow petals that have a narrow base but quickly widen to a rounded tip. The tip is usually somewhat notched in the center, giving the petal a heart shape. | | Click on the photo for a larger image
| | Site: Walker County, GA Date: 2013-May-17 | Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Nikon D7000 | | The green sepals of Potentilla simplex are somewhat shorter than the petals. The blossom is on a pedicel arising from the leaf node. The stem and pedicel may be nearly glabrous to quite hairy. The stem turns red with age. | | Click on the photo for a larger image
| | Site: Walker County, GA Date: 2013-May-17 | Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Nikon D7000 | | The petals surround around 20 stamens. | | Click on the photo for a larger image
| | Site: Walker County, GA Date: 2013-May-17 | Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Nikon D7000 | | Common Cinquefoil rarely grows more than a foot tall, although I have seen them taller. It is stoloniferous, with the stolons running along the ground for 3 feet or more. Multiple plants’ stolons can crisscross each other, forming mats. | | Click on the photo for a larger image
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References used for identification and information:
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