Potentilla

Perennial, rarely annual herbs or undershrubs, erect or creeping with stoloniferous branches. Leaves alternate, compound; leaflets solitary, digitate or ternate, often lobed or further divided; stipules adnate to base of petiole. Inflorescences usually dense, terminal cymes; flowers rarely solitary and axillary; bracteate. Flowers usually bisexual. Calyx: tube concave or almost flat, persistent; lobes (4)5(6), erect or spreading, triangular-ovate, valvate; epicalyx present, green as calyx. Petals (4)5(6), obovate, circular or linear-spathulate, commonly yellow, occasionally white, pink, red or dark purple. Stamens 10-20(-30), perigynous, inserted with petals; anthers glabrous. Disc annular or lining receptacle. Gynoecium usually of many carpels, rarely few-1, inserted on convex or conical, hairy or glabrous receptacle; ovules solitary in each carpel, pendulous; styles long-filiform, caducous, +/- lateral; stigma truncate or capitate. Fruit an apocarpium composed of many 1-seeded achenes on a dry or spongy receptacle enclosed by accrescent calyx; achenes often smooth. Seed semiglobose; testa thin. x= 7 (aneuploids, high polyploidy).