Potentilla (po-ten-til'lah)

Cinquefoil; a genus of rosaceous undershrubs or herbs. P. alba. White cinquefoil; a mildly astringent species. P. an serin a. The root and herb are astringent, and were formerly used in intermittent fever, diarrhea, dysentery, hemorrhages, etc. P. argentea. Silvery cinquefoil; a European and North American species. The mildly astringent herb was formerly official. P. can a dens is. Canadian five fingers; a diuretic and diaphoretic species. P. comarum. Marsh cinquefoil; a bitter, tonic species, by some botanists made a distinct genus. The root and herb were •formerly used in diarrhea, dysentery, hemorrhage, and intermittent fever. P. frag a rio ides. Rock cinquefoil. The root was formerly used as a mild astringent. P. palustris. See P. comarum. P. reptans. Creeping cinquefoil, the Gr. pentaphyllon of the ancients; a perennial creeping herb. The root and herb were formerly used as mild astringents. P. rubra. P. comarum. P. rupestris. P. frag a rio ides. P. torment ill a. Tormentil; an astringent species formerly in the secondary list of the U. S. Ph. It is made by many botanists a distinct genus, Torment ill a. The root is powerfully astringent, and was formerly much used in diarrhea, pa ive hemorrhage, etc. [Lat., potens, powerful.]