The walls of the fissures were coated with very fine cilia, somewhat like the tiny versions of the hairs on exposed leaves of alpine cinquefoil.

Potentilla crantzii (Alpine Cinquefoil) is a flowering plant of the genus Potentilla in the family Rosaceae.

The name P. verna was misapplied to this species; actually, as originally described by Linnaeus, it refers to the Alpine Cinquefoil (P. crantzii).

In Upper Wharfedale the scars and screes support a range of plants including the Alpine Cinquefoil and Hoary Whitlowgrass.

Lower down the valley, species including Alpine Cinquefoil, Lily-of-the-valley, Mountain Melick and Herb Paris, blue sesleria, Common Valerian and Wild Angelica.

In the shadow of Vatnajokull, we saw arctic river beauty: deep blue, horn-shaped flowers on grasslike stems; elsewhere, we had seen the cottony tufts of artic wool, bluebells and the delicate yellow of alpine cinquefoil.

The larvae feed on Potentilla crantzii, Potentilla frigida and Potentilla grandiflora.