Potentilla erecta (syn.Tormentilla erecta,Potentilla laeta,Potentilla tormentilla, known as the (common)tormentil,septfoil[1] orerect cinquefoil[2] ) is a herbaceousperennial plant belonging to the rose family (Rosaceae).
Potentilla erecta is a low, clump-forming plant with slender, procumbent to arcuately upright stalks, growing 10–30 centimetres (3.9–11.8 in) tall and with non-rooting runners. It grows wild predominantly inEurope and westernAsia[1], mostly on acid soils and in a wide variety of habitats such as mountains, heaths, meadows, sandy soils and dunes.[3]
This plant flowers from May to August/September. There is one yellow, 7–11 millimetres (0.28–0.43 in) wide flower, growing at the tip of a long stalk. There are almost always four notchedpetals, each between 3 and 6 mm long. Four petals are rather uncommon in the rose family. The petals are somewhat longer than thesepals. There are 20–25stamens.
The radicalleaves have a longpetiole, whilst the leaves on the flowering stalks are usually sessile or with short petioles. The glossy leaves are alternate, ternate, consisting of three obovate leaflets with serrated margins. The pairedstipules are leaflike and palmately lobed.
Potentilla erecta is found wild throughout Europe, Scandinavia and West Asia.[4]
Potentilla erecta is almost ubiquitous in the British Isles, recorded in almost all 10 km squares except close tothe Wash.[2] and is listed as a species of least concern.[5] It is very common in grasslands, heaths, moors and mountains, bogs including roadsides and pastures, mostly on acidic soils[3] but avoiding chalk.[6] It is a component ofBritish National Vegetation Classification community M25 (Molinia caerulea–Potentilla erecta mire).
The rhizomatousroot is thick.[clarification needed] It has little value for food use because of its bitterness and low caloric value. The roots are a main ingredient of abitter liqueur fromBavaria and the Black Forest area, calledBlutwurz.[7] It is also used in Ukraine along with honey inhorilka.[8]The plant is used in herbal medicine as anastringent because of itstannin content,[citation needed] which is unusually high for aherbaceous plant.[citation needed] Structurally-relatedphlobaphenes, used as a red dye for leather known astormentil red, can be extracted from the root of the common tormentil along with the triterpene alcoholtormentiol.[9] Aqueous extracts of the rhizomes are reported to have low toxicity in rats and mice.[10]
^Rose, F. (2006).The Wild Flower Key. London: Penguin. pp. 258–259.ISBN978-0723251750.
^"Blutwurz". Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Forsten. Archived fromthe original on July 26, 2011. RetrievedJune 4, 2011.
^Lund, K.; Rimpler, H. (1985). "Tormentillwurzel".Deutsche Apotheke Zeitung.125 (3):105–107.
^Shushunov S, Balashov L; Kravtsova A; Krasnogorsky I; Latté KP; Vasiliev A (October 2009). "Determination of acute toxicity of the aqueous extract of Potentilla erecta (Tormentil) rhizomes in rats and mice".J Med Food.12 (5). Journal of Medical Food:1173–6.doi:10.1089/jmf.2008.0281.PMID19857087.
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