Coast Cinquefoil vs tormentil

Potentilla litoralis compared with Potentilla erecta

Key Differences

• Coast Cinquefoil is Not Evaluated while tormentil is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Coast Cinquefoil	tormentil
Kingdom same	Plantae (tumbuhan)	Plantae (tumbuhan)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order same	Rosales (Roses & Allies)	Rosales (Roses & Allies)
Family same	Rosaceae (Rose Family)	Rosaceae (Rose Family)
Genus same	Potentilla	Potentilla
Species	Potentilla litoralis	Potentilla erecta

Evolutionary Relationship

Coast Cinquefoil and tormentil share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Potentilla.

Conservation Status

Coast Cinquefoil

NE — Not Evaluated

tormentil

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Coast Cinquefoil	tormentil
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Coast Cinquefoil

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Distributed across Canada, Norway, and United States.

tormentil

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found across Europe (7 countries) and North America (Canada, United States). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Coast Cinquefoil

Coast cinquefoil (Potentilla litoralis) is a low-growing perennial herb in the family Rosaceae, found along coastal habitats of Atlantic North America and Scandinavia. It grows on rocky shorelines, coastal gravel, salt-sprayed headlands, and cliff-top grasslands just above the high tide zone. Like other cinquefoils, it bears five-petalled yellow flowers and compound leaves divided into toothed leaflets, a characteristic form of the Potentilla genus. Coast cinquefoil is adapted to maritime exposure, tolerating salt, wind, and thin, nutrient-poor substrates. Its prostrate or mat-forming growth habit reduces exposure in exposed coastal conditions. The species occupies a niche between maritime and terrestrial plant communities, often growing alongside other maritime specialists such as sea plantain and sea campion. Its IUCN conservation status is Not Evaluated. Taxonomically, Potentilla litoralis occupies a complex position within the genus, which contains hundreds of species and has historically been subject to different circumscriptions depending on taxonomic authority. Regional populations in the British Isles and Scandinavia are generally considered stable in suitable coastal habitat.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇨🇦 Canada 🇳🇴 Norway 🇺🇸 United States