Cinquefoil, White-beneath herb
Potentilla discolor

Family: Rosaceae

What it is like

A herb. It keeps growing from year to year. The roots are robust. The lower part is often enlarged. The flowers stem can be erect, curving upwards or spreading. They are 16-45 cm tall. The leaves near the roots have 2-5 pairs of leaflets. The leaves up the stem are 1 or 2 and they are divided like fingers on a hand into 3-5 leaflets. The flowers are yellow.

There are about 500 Potentilla species.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It grows in valleys and on mountain slopes in N China. It grows in wetlands. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan

How it is used for food

The roots are eaten raw or boiled.

Edible parts

Root, shoots

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Fan bai cao

Synonyms

Potentilla formosana Hance; Potentilla discolor var. formosana Franch;