Rosaceae

Potentilla recta

Sulphur Cinquefoil

Tuft of upright stems sparsely coated with long and short hairs or glands. Leaves palmately divided into 5–7 oval leaflets. Basal leaves usually withered by bloom; stem leaves 3–6 in. long, toothed halfway to midvein. Flowers many, in flat terminal cluster; petals pale yellow, about 1/4–1/3 in. across. Seed brown, rough, with many deep ridges. Grows in disturbed soils at low to mid elevations. On Oregon, Washington, and California noxious weed lists, widespread across North America. Can be confused with P. gracilis, a native species. Otherwise similar P. norvegica, another Eurasian import, has only 3 leaflets.

• Rarity: Common
• Flowering Time: All Spring And Summer
• Life Cycle: Perennial
• Height: 8--24 inches
• Habitat: Disturbed, Meadow
• Found In: N Cascades Np
• Native: No