Taxon Report

Potentilla multijuga Lehm.

Ballona cinquefoil

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Potentilla multijuga, commonly known as Ballona cinquefoil, is a perennial herb in the Rosaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Meadows and seeps, growing at elevations from 0 to 2 meters. Potentilla multijuga is ranked 1A, Plants Presumed Extirpated in California and Either Rare or Extinct Elsewhere.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Potentilla multijuga Lehm.
Common Name:	Ballona cinquefoil
Family:	Rosaceae
Element Code:	PDROS1B120
USDA Plants Symbol:	POMU5
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: Jun-Aug	Jun-Aug
Elevation:	0-2 (0-5)
General Habitats:	Meadows and seeps
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1A
Global Rank:	GX
State Rank:	SX
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	1
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	1
Unknown (U)	0

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Los Angeles (LAX)*
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Venice (3311884)*

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	1
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	1	100 %
Development	1	100%

Notes



Known only from one occurrence near Ballona; last seen in 1890. Extirpated by development. Recent surveys have failed to relocate plant. Confusion exists about proper nomenclature. See Fremontia 21(1):25-29 (1993) for species account.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 5 November 2025].