Potentilla argyrophylla - Silverleaf Cinquefoil

Silverleaf Cinquefoil is a beautiful Himalayan wildflower with clear yellow flowers and slivery strawberry-like leaves. Flowering stems are erect or basally slightly curved, 15-20 cm tall, together with leaf-stalks densely silvery velvety and hairy. Flowers are about 2 cm in diameter, carried on 2-2.5 cm long stalk. Sepals are triangular-lanceshaped, tip long-pointed. False sepals are elliptic-ovate or elliptic-lanceolate, nearly equaling sepals. Petals are yellow, sometimes purple at base, inverted-heart-shaped, about twice as long as sepals, tip markedly notched. Stamens are yellow or purple. Style is subterminal, yellow or purple. Flowers are borne in groups of 2 or 3 at branch ends. Basal leaves are 5-10 cm including the stalk. Leaves are 3-foliolate, with stalkless leaflets, obovate, elliptic, or broadly ovate, 1.5-2 x 1-1.5 cm. Leaflets are densely silvery on both sides. Base is wedge-shaped or broadly so, margin sharply toothed, tip blunt. Stem leaves are 2 or 3, shortly stalked, small. Silverleaf Cinquefoil is found in the Himalayas, from Afghanistan, Kashmir, Nepal, Pakistan, to Sikkim, at altitudes of 3300-4000 m. Flowering: June-August.