''Potentilla reptans'', known as the creeping cinquefoil, European cinquefoil or creeping tormentil, is a

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

in the family

Rosaceae Rosaceae (), the rose family, is a medium-sized family of flowering plants that includes 4,828 known species in 91 genera. The name is derived from the type genus ''Rosa''. Among the most species-rich genera are ''Alchemilla'' (270), ''Sorbus ...

. A creeping

perennial plant A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

native to Eurasia and Northern Africa, ''Potentilla reptans'' has been naturalized elsewhere. Its trailing stems root at the

node In general, a node is a localized swelling (a "knot") or a point of intersection (a vertex). Node may refer to: In mathematics *Vertex (graph theory), a vertex in a mathematical graph *Vertex (geometry), a point where two or more curves, lines, ...

s, and leaves are on long stalks. The plant blooms between June and August with yellow flowers that are about 2 cm in diameter and have five heart-shaped petals. ''P. reptans'', which can be easily confused with

silverweed ''Argentina'' (silverweeds) is a genus of plants in the rose family (Rosaceae) which is accepted by some authors, as containing 64 species, but classified in ''Potentilla'' sect. ''Leptostylae'' by others. Selected species *''Argentina anserina ...

, often grows in crushed masonry in the

South of England Southern England, or the South of England, also known as the South, is an area of England consisting of its southernmost part, with cultural, economic and political differences from the Midlands and the North. Officially, the area includes Gr ...

. The

grizzled skipper ''Pyrgus'' is a genus in the skippers butterfly family, Hesperiidae, known as the grizzled skippers. The name "checkered" or "chequered skipper" may also be applied to some species, but also refers to species in the genera '' Burnsius'' and '' ...

butterfly favors the plant. Alcoholic extracts from roots of ''Potentilla reptans'' showed a moderate antimicrobial activity against common wound pathogens. ''Potentilla reptans'' can be an invasive weed in lawns and flowerbeds and difficult to eradicate, particularly when it competes with and infests established groundcovers. All of the taproots must be dug up, or the plant will reappear.

References

reptans Flora of Europe Flora of temperate Asia Flora of North Africa Medicinal plants Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus {{Alt-med-stub