POTENTIL'LA RUPESTRIS. 
ROCK CINQUEFOIL. 
Class. Order. 
ICOSANDRIA. POLYGYNIA. 
Natural Order. 
ROSACE IE. 
Native of 
1 Height. 
Flowers in 
Duration. 
Inhabits 
England . 
18 inches. 
June, July. 
Perennial. 
Rocks. 
No. 474. 
Potentilla, a diminutive, from potentia, powerful. 
Hence the plants, probably, were esteemed as pos- 
sessing but little medicinal power. Rupestris, from 
the Latin rupes, a rock; indicative of its native 
place of growth. 
Many of the Potentillas being inconspicuous al- 
pines, the genus was but little noticed till the three 
species, splendens, formosa, and atrosanguiuea, were 
introduced in 1822 , from Nepal. These gave rise to 
hybrids of greater beauty than any of the original 
species, and every garden now displays its poten- 
tillas. 
The species before us is a remarkably neat up- 
right-growing plant — a character not possessed by 
many -Potentillas ; for most of them are of some- 
what straggling growth. Its flowers, too, on their 
slender footstalks possess a pleasing elegance. 
The Potentilla rupestris, notwithstanding its 
rocky habitat, grows freely in light soil. In sandy 
peat we have observed it remarkably fine. It in- 
creases freely, and about Midsummer a little good 
compost should be placed round the plant, to en- 
courage the suckers to emit strong roots. 
Hort. Kew. 2, y. 3, 274. 
