PALE LADY'S-MANTLE

Alchemilla xanthochlora

Rose Family [Rosaceae]

month8may month8jun month8june month8jul month8july month8aug month8sep month8sept

status
statusZnative
 
flower
flower8green
 
inner
inner8cream
 
morph
morph8actino
 
petals
petalsZ4
sepals
stem
stem8round
 

9th June 2018, Waitby Greenriggs, Yorkshire. Photo: © RWD
Leaves vary in size considerably, but the largest leaves are larger than the smallest leaved Lady's-mantle (Least Lady's-mantle) and smaller than the largest leaved - Clustered Lady's-mantle and Soft Lady's-mantle.


9th June 2018, Waitby Greenriggs, Yorkshire. Photo: © RWD


9th June 2018, Waitby Greenriggs, Yorkshire. Photo: © RWD


9th June 2018, Waitby Greenriggs, Yorkshire. Photo: © RWD


9th June 2018, Waitby Greenriggs, Yorkshire. Photo: © RWD
Amplexicaul leaf (?)


9th June 2018, Waitby Greenriggs, Yorkshire. Photo: © RWD


9th June 2018, Waitby Greenriggs, Yorkshire. Photo: © RWD


9th June 2018, Waitby Greenriggs, Yorkshire. Photo: © RWD
Bell-shaped sepal cup.


9th June 2018, Waitby Greenriggs, Yorkshire. Photo: © RWD
The leaf stalk (pedicel) and sepal tube (hypanthia in this case) of the flowers are usually without hairs. There are 4 pale green wide sepals surrounding a yellower annulus from which emerges a single style with stigma atop (upper right). Surrounding the style are 4 shorter filaments with anthers (lower left). Behind the 4 triangular sepals are 4 both narrower and shorter epicalyx teeth (attached to the sepal tube).


9th June 2018, Waitby Greenriggs, Yorkshire. Photo: © RWD
The flower bottom right shows a long style and the antherless remains of some shorter filaments.


9th June 2018, Waitby Greenriggs, Yorkshire. Photo: © RWD
Only count the teeth on the central lobe of the leaves! These 2 leaves each have 9 lobes, but they can have anywhere between 7 and 11 lobes. The lobes are rounded. The size of the gap between the two extremities (for basal leaves only and when the leaf is flattened out) is wide


9th June 2018, Waitby Greenriggs, Yorkshire. Photo: © RWD
Your Author makes that 18 for the top leaf (the bottom leaf central lobe is half edgeways-on). The upperside of the leaves are without hairs (or with just a few hairs nestling in the folds). For Pale Lady's-mantle there should be between 11 to 15 teeth on the middle lobe.


9th June 2018, Waitby Greenriggs, Yorkshire. Photo: © RWD
The teeth on Pale Lady's-mantle are said to be straight and acute (subtended angle < 90°). But if the reader examines other leaves of Alchemilla xanthchlora on the internet, he will find that they are rarely straight like the teeth of handsaws are, but instead often with a curve - especially on one edge!


9th June 2018, Waitby Greenriggs, Yorkshire. Photo: © RWD
The points of the teeth correspond with the termination of the main veins. The teeth are not all of equal size.


9th June 2018, Waitby Greenriggs, Yorkshire. Photo: © RWD
The the underside of the leaf as well as the leaf stalk have densely packed hairs which stick out, either perpendicular or bent over a bit.


Not to be semantically confused with : Lady's-slipper (Cypripedium calceolus), Lady's Bedstraw (Galium verum), Lords-and-Ladies (Arum maculatum) [plants with similar names belonging to differing families].

Easily mistaken for : other Lady's-mantles.


  Alchemilla xanthochlora  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Rosaceae  

Distribution
 family8Rose family8Rosaceae
 BSBI maps
genus8Alchemilla
Alchemilla
(Lady's-Mantles)

PALE LADY'S-MANTLE

Alchemilla xanthochlora

Rose Family [Rosaceae]