View source for Tormentil

{{Taxobox | color = lightgreen
| name = Tormentil
| image = Koeh-248.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| regnum = [[Plantae]]
| divisio = [[Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Rosales]]
| familia = [[Rosaceae]]
| genus = ''[[Potentilla]]''
| species = '''''P. erecta'''''
| binomial = ''Potentilla erecta''
| binomial_authority = Uspenski ex [[Carl Friedrich von Ledebour|Ledeb.]]
}}

'''Tormentil''' (''Potentilla erecta'') is a herbaceous perennial belonging to the rose family ([[Rosaceae]]), also known as "septifoil"<ref>http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Septfoil</ref>.

It is a low, clumb-forming plant with  slender, procumbent to arcuately upright stalks, growing 10-30 cm. tall and with non-rooting runners It grows wild all over Asia and northern [[Europe]], mostly in a wide variety of habitats, such as clearings, meadows, sandy soils and dunes.

This plant is flowering from May to August/September. There is one yellow, 7-11 mm wide flower, growing at the tip of a long stalk. There are almost always four notched [[petal]]s, each with a length between 3 and 6 mm. Four petals are rather uncommon in the rose family. The petals are somewhat longer than the [[sepal]]s. There are 20-25 [[stamen]]s.

The glossy [[Leaf|leaves]] are pinnately compound. The radical leaves have a long [[Petiole (botany)|petiole]], while the leaves on the stalks are usually sessile and have sometimes shorter petioles. Each leaf consists of three obovate leaflets with serrate leaf margins. The [[stipule]]s are leaflike and palmately lobed.

The rhizomatous [[root]] is thick.  A lotion prepared from the dried root has been used both as medicine to treat a number of ailments (to stop bleedings or against diarrhea), for food in times of need and to dye [[leather]] red.

There are 2-8 dry, inedible fruits.