Weed Information: Potentilla norvegica (cinquefoil, rough)
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Potentilla norvegica (cinquefoil, rough)

Family: Rosaceae

Description

Also called `Norwegian cinquefoil.` This species normally has 3 leaflets but occasionally has 5. It can be an annual to short lived perennial from a taproot. There are many native wildflowers in this genus, but the alien species, such as this one, are such pernicious weeds that it is very important to be sure of the identification. This is complicated genus to identify and may require shipping a specimen to your state herbarium.

Characteristics

Flower Color
  • Yellow
Inflorescence Type (How the flowers are arranged on the plant)
  • Cyme (simple or branched)
Number of Petals
  • 5 petals
Petal Separation
  • Completely free to base
Petal Tip
  • Bilobed
  • Rounded
Flower Symmetry
  • Flowers regular
Flower Length (Head length in the Asteraceae)
  • 4 mm (.16 inch)
  • 5 mm (.20 inch)
  • 6 mm (.24 inch)
  • 7 mm (.28 inch)
Flower Width (Head width in the Asteraceae)
  • 1.0 cm (.40 inch)
  • 1.5 cm (.60 inch)
Number of Sepals
  • 5 sepals
Sepal Separation
  • Completely free to base
  • United at base < 25% length
Sepal Tip
  • Pointed
Flower Sex
  • Bisexual (perfect)
Number of Styles
  • More than 10 styles
Number of Stamens
  • more than 10 stamens
Stamens Attached to the Petals
  • Stamens NOT attached to the petals
Stamens Connate (united)
  • Filaments or anthers NOT united

Carpel Separation
  • Carpels separated
Number of Carpels
  • >10 carpels
Ovary Position
  • Superior (hypogynous)
Fruit Type
  • Achene
Fruit Length at Maturity
  • 1 mm (.04 inch) or less
  • 2 mm (.08 inch)
Fruit Width at Maturity
  • 1 mm (.04 inch) or less
  • 2 mm (.08 inch)
Burs
  • Fruit or seed NOT bur-like

Leaf Arrangement
  • Alternate
Leaf Type
  • Compound palmate 4 or 5 leaflets
  • Compound palmate > 5 leaflets
Stipules
  • Foliaceous 4-10 mm (.16 - .40 in) long
  • Foliaceous > 1 cm (> .40 inch) long
Tendrils
  • Tendrils absent
Venation
  • Palmate
  • Pinnate
Petiole (leaf stem) Blade Ratio
  • Petiole < 25% total length
  • Petiole 25% - 75% total length
Leaf Length (blade PLUS petiole)
  • 2 - 4 cm (.80 - 1.60 inches)
  • 4 - 10 cm (1.60 - 4.0 inches)
Leaf Width
  • 2 - 4 cm (.80 - 1.6 inches)
  • 4 - 10 cm (1.6 - 4.0 inches)
Leaf or Leaflet Margin
  • Crenate
  • Serrate
Leaf or Leaflet Blade Base
  • Acute (cuneate)
  • Acuminate (attenuate)
Leaf or Leaflet Tip
  • Acuminate (attenuate)
  • Rounded (obtuse)
Leaf or Leaflet Blade Surface
  • Floccose
  • Hirsute
  • Pubescent
  • Sericeous or villous (silky)
  • Villous or sericious (silky)
Succulence
  • Not succulent

Milky Juice
  • Juice NOT milky (watery)
Woodiness
  • Herbaceous
Spines or Thorns
  • Spines or Thorns ABSENT
Aromatic (vegetative structures)
  • Not aromatic
Life Cycle
  • Annual
  • Biennial
  • Perennial
Growth Habit (while flowering)
  • Spreading ascending
  • Erect, columnar (narrow)
  • Erect, spherical (bushy)
Plant Height at Maturity
  • 2 - 4 dm (8.0 - 16.0 inches)
  • 4 - 6 dm (1.3 - 2.0 feet)
  • 6 - 8 dm (2.0 - 2.6 feet)
  • 8 - 10 dm (2.6 - 3.3 feet)
Wind Dissemination
  • Not wind disseminated
Moisture Regime
  • Semi-aquatic
  • Seasonally saturated
  • Mesic
Chlorophyll
  • Present

Stem Cross Section
  • Round
Flowering Stem Leaves
  • Stem leaves greatly reduced
Main Stem Branches
  • Main stem unbranched
  • Main stem branched

Root or Vegetative Propagule
  • Tap Root

US State
  • Alabama
  • Arkansas
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Georgia
  • Illinois
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Massachusetts
  • Maine
  • Michigan
  • Missouri
  • North Carolina
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • Ohio
  • Pennsylvania
  • South Carolina
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • West Virginia
  • Indiana
  • Maryland
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont
  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Iowa
  • Idaho
  • Minnesota
  • Montana
  • North Dakota
  • New Mexico
  • Nevada
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • South Dakota
  • Utah
  • Washington
  • Wyoming
  • Nebraska
Canadian Province or Territory
  • British Columbia
  • New Brunswick
  • Nova Scotia
  • Ontario
  • Prince Edward Island
  • Quebec
  • Alberta
  • Manitoba
  • Newfoundland
  • Saskatchewan
  • Yukon
  • Nunavut
  • Northwest Territory
Other
  • District of Columbia
  • St. Pierre and Miquelon
  • Labrador
  • Greenland

  • An Illustrated Guide To Arizona Weeds, 1972 (ISBN 0-8165-0288-9) 338 pages. See page: 156
  • The Biology of Canadian Weeds: Canadian Journal of Plant Science Vol:56Pg.591
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  • Ontario Weeds, 1992 Agdex 640, Publication #505 See page: 114
  • Representative Missouri Weeds and Their Control, 1941 Univ. of Missouri Ag. Exp Station Bulletin #433, See page: 107
  • Some Important Michigan Weeds, 1951 Mich. Ag. Exp. Station Bulletin #304, See page: 129
  • South Dakota Weeds, 1967 South Dakota State University, See page: 104
  • South Dakota Weeds 2002 South Dakota Dept. of Ag. 523 E. Capitol, Foss Bldg. Pierre, South Dakota 57501 See page: 92
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  • Weeds, A Golden Guide, 1972 ISBN#0-307-24353-2 See page: 66
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  • Weeds of California and other Western States, 2007 (ISBN 13: 978-1-879906-69-3) See Page: 1415
  • Weeds of Canada, 1970 Canada Dept. of Ag., Pub. # 948, See page: 109
  • Weeds of Nebraska and the Great Plains, 1994 (ISBN 0939870-00-4) See page: 501
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  • Weeds of the Northeast, 1956, Univ. of Delaware Field Manual #1 See species #: 343
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  • Listed as a `Weed` by the Biota of North America Program, 2008 x
  • Listed in the WSSA Composite List of Weeds X
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