Rough cinquefoil leaves are alternate and palmately divided into 3 rough, hairy, coarsely toothed leaflets. Sulphur cinquefoil leaves are alternate and palmately divided into 5 or 7 hairy, coarsely toothed leaflets that have pale undersides. Common and silverweed cinquefoil flowers are yellow, one per stem and fairly conspicuous. Silvery cinquefoil flowers are also yellow and 0.5 inch across, but arise from short multiple stalks in leaf axils near branch ends. In contrast, rough cinquefoil flowers are small, inconspicuous, and found in clusters at tips of branches.
Subsequent leaves are alternate with soft hairs and very long, hairy, grooved leafstalks.
Stem is not apparent. Common, silvery and sulphur cinquefoil are perennial, rough cinquefoil is an annual, winter annual, or biennial. All species reproduce by seed. Common, silvery, rough, and sulphur cinquefoil are found throughout Wisconsin. Silverweed cinquefoil is generally confined to wet, sandy areas.