Chinese cinquefoil
StarPotentilla chinensis
Synonyms: Potentilla pensylvanica var. japonica, Potentilla pseudochinensis, Potentilla chinensis var. lineariloba, Potentilla chinensis var. littoralis, Potentilla chinensis var. xerogenes, Potentilla exaltata, Potentilla chinensis var. latifida, Potentilla chinensis var. pseudochinensis, Potentilla chinensis var. micrantha, Potentilla chinensis var. oligodonta, Potentilla chinensis var. platyloba, Potentilla chinensis var. serrulata, Potentilla chinensis var. divaricata, Potentilla chinensis f. lineariloba, Potentilla chinensis subsp. trigonodonta, Potentilla chinensis var. hirtella, Potentilla chinensis var. ramosa
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
In traditional Chinese medicine Potentilla chinensis (Wei Ling Cai) is used to clear heat and remove toxins, cool the blood and stop bleeding, and check diarrhea; it is given for bacterial and amoebic dysentery, intestinal parasites, uterine bleeding, blood in the urine and hemorrhoids, and applied for sore throat and oral and skin ulcerations, its high tannin content giving it strong astringent action (Chinese Materia Medica; PFAF).
Botanical Description
Potentilla chinensis, the Chinese cinquefoil, is a perennial herb of the family Rosaceae native to China, Korea, Japan and adjacent parts of eastern Asia, where it grows on dry slopes, grassland, roadsides and waste ground. It develops a stout woody rootstock from which arise several erect to ascending, reddish, hairy flowering stems 20 to 70 cm tall, together with a basal rosette of leaves. The leaves are pinnately compound with numerous (often 11 to 31) oblong leaflets that are deeply cut into narrow lobes, green above and densely white-woolly beneath, giving the foliage a distinctive two-toned appearance. From summer to early autumn the plant bears loose, branched cymes of small five-petalled yellow flowers, each with an epicalyx of bracts behind the sepals, the typical Potentilla flower form. The fruit is a cluster of small dry achenes. The plant is rich in tannins, which underlie its astringent properties.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
📝 Notes
Public notes from the community and your own private notes on Chinese cinquefoil.
No notes yet.