SULPHUR CINQUEFOIL
Potentilla recta
Rose Family [Rosaceae] 
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Rose Family [Rosaceae]
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status
flower
morph
petals
stem
[ButYellow]_2016_08_26_Waterloo_Freshfield_155p7.jpg)
| 26th Aug 2016, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
| A nominally erect plant growing to 70cm high. (These were half-procumbent in grasses and other plants). The upper stem is branched. |
[ButYellow]_2016_08_26_Waterloo_Freshfield_171p09.jpg)
| 26th Aug 2016, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
| It is a perennial with a woody tap-root. |
[ButYellow]_2016_08_26_Waterloo_Freshfield_156p7.jpg)
| 26th Aug 2016, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
| Flower colour can vary: these specimens are yellow, but the plant derives its common name from the pale sulphur-yellow ones [shown near the foot of this page], (which were but a few hundred yards away from these). White varieties also exist. |
[ButYellow]_2016_08_26_Waterloo_Freshfield_151p3.jpg)
| 26th Aug 2016, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
| Five petals, which are longer than the sepals. |
[ButYellow]_2016_08_26_Waterloo_Freshfield_152p12.jpg)
| 26th Aug 2016, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
| Multiple paddle-shaped yellow stamens in encircling a central mound of many separate carpels, all concolorous with the petals. |
[ButYellow]_2016_08_26_Waterloo_Freshfield_151p9.jpg)
| 26th Aug 2016, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
| Flowers large about 20-25mm across. |
[ButYellow]_2016_08_26_Waterloo_Freshfield_159p2.jpg)
| 26th Aug 2016, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
| Unlike buttercups which have no epicalyx and no cup below the flower Cinquefoils have an epicalyx of 5 (sometimes only 4), with the same number of sepals. |
[ButYellow]_2016_08_26_Waterloo_Freshfield_161p6.jpg)
| 26th Aug 2016, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
| Sulphur Cinquefoil is hairy, with long seemingly-white hairs, especially around the sepals. |
[ButYellow]_2016_08_26_Waterloo_Freshfield_163p8.jpg)
| 26th Aug 2016, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
| Alternating sepals (the wide bracts) and epicalyx (the narrow bracts) [or so your Author thinks...]. Both are tapering, the sepals especially so. |
[ButYellow]_2016_08_26_Waterloo_Freshfield_161p7.jpg)
| 26th Aug 2016, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
| Flower buds not yet opened. Long white (transparent actually) hairs. |
[ButYellow]_2016_08_26_Waterloo_Freshfield_166p8.jpg)
| 26th Aug 2016, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
| A young flower bud. |
[ButYellow]_2016_08_26_Waterloo_Freshfield_154p4.jpg)
| 26th Aug 2016, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
| Leaves alternate up the stem. |
_2016_08_26_Waterloo_Freshfield_200p4.jpg)
| 26th Aug 2016, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
| Leaves palmate with between 5 to 7 leaflets. Leaflets coarsely toothed. |
_2016_08_26_Waterloo_Freshfield_202p33.jpg)
| 26th Aug 2016, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
| A very convincing example of Sulphur Cinquefoil with pale-yellow petals as the books say. But as you can see above, there are also very yellow versions to be found. Sepals shorter than petals. |
_2016_08_26_Waterloo_Freshfield_204p66.jpg)
| 26th Aug 2016, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
| Anthers bearing pollen. A bulge develops in the centre shaped like a Pineapple Weed inflorescence. |
[ButYellow]_2016_08_26_Waterloo_Freshfield_174p9.jpg)
| 26th Aug 2016, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
| After flowering the sepals and epicalyx close up to contain the seeds. |
[ButYellow]_2016_08_26_Waterloo_Freshfield_175p2.jpg)
| 26th Aug 2016, Formby Dunes, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
| The seeds are tiny, asymmetric and flattish with fingerprint type ridges on each side, some in whorls. They are easily blown by the wind; indeed many blew away from my palm before I could photograph them! |
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Easily confused with : other Cinquefoils but the flowers are larger, usually sulphur-coloured and hairy, amongst other characteristics highlighted in the captions.
Not to be semantically confused with : Uniquely identifiable characteristics Distinguishing Feature :
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 Potentilla
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recta
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⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ |
Rosaceae
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 Potentilla (Cinquefoils) |
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Rose Family [Rosaceae]
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BSBI maps