Downy Cinquefoil

Potentilla intermedia L. Mant. 76. 1767
Potentilla digitaio-flabellata A. Br. & Bouche, Ind. Sem. Hort. Berol. 1851 : 14. 1851.
Perennial ; stem 4-7 dm. high, usually ascending, very leafy and much branched, green or tinged with brown or purple, finely pubescent and with sparse long hairs ; stipules ovate, acute, mostly entire ; leaves green and finely hirsute on both sides and somewhat tomentulose beneath ; basal ones on petioles 1-2 dm. long, digitate, with 5 obovate or cuneate leaflets 3-6 cm. long ; stem-leaves quinate or ternate, with oblong or oblanceolate leaflets, the lower short-petioled, the upper sessile, the teeth ovate-oblong, rather obtuse ; hypanthium hirsute, in fruit 6-8 mm. in diameter ; bractlets oblong or oblong-oval, obtuse or acute, nearly equaling the triangularovate acute sepals, 4 mm. long ; flowers nearly 1 cm. in diameter ; petals obcordate, about equaling the sepals ; stamens about 20 ; pistils numerous ; styles filiform, short.
Type locality : Switzerland.
Distribution : Meuntain regions of Europe, Scandinavia, and the Baltic Provinces ; sparingly introduced into the northeastern United States, as far west as Michigan.