''Comarum palustre'' (
syn.
The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently.
* In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linna ...
''Potentilla palustris''), known by the common names purple marshlocks, swamp cinquefoil and marsh cinquefoil,
is a common waterside shrub. It has a
circumboreal
The Circumboreal Region in phytogeography is a floristic region within the Holarctic Kingdom in Eurasia and North America, as delineated by such geobotanists as Josias Braun-Blanquet and Armen Takhtajan.
It is the largest floristic region i ...
distribution, occurring throughout North America, Europe, and Asia, particularly the northern regions. It is most commonly found on lake shores, marshy riversides and stream margins, often partly submerged with foliage floating. It is a parent of some
''Fragaria''–''Comarum'' hybrids,
ornamental plant
Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that ...
s produced by crossing with
strawberries
The garden strawberry (or simply strawberry; ''Fragaria × ananassa'') is a widely grown Hybrid (biology), hybrid species of the genus ''Fragaria'', collectively known as the strawberries, which are cultivated worldwide for their fruit. The f ...
.
Description
Its branches spread into leaves with three to seven narrow leaflets which are sharply jagged. The stem is a reddish-brown, low sprawling, vine-like structure. Flowers extend from the branch which vary from red to purple, and are about one inch in diameter, blooming in summer.
The stems roots at the base then rises to about .
[Parnell, J. and Curtis, T. 2012. ''Webb's An Irish Flora.'' Cork University Press.]
Cultivation
Swamp cinquefoil prefers
peat
Peat (), also known as turf (), is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, moors, or muskegs. The peatland ecosystem covers and is the most efficien ...
soils but can also grow in moist sandy areas. It flourishes in
USDA Zone 3 (minimum ). It grows to about wide by high when cultivated properly.
Apis mellifera on Potentilla palustris.JPG, Flower with honey bee
Comarum palustre MHNT.BOT.2018.28.25.jpg, Dried seed heads with seeds
References
External links
Jepson Manual Treatment*
*
Washington Burke Museum*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q161630
Potentilleae
Plants described in 1753
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus