MARSH MARIGOLD

Caltha palustris

Buttercup Family [Ranunculaceae]  

month8mar month8march month8apr month8april month8may month8jun month8june

status
statusZnative
flower
flower8yellow
morph
morph8actino
petals
petalsZ5
stem
stem8round
stem
stem8ribbed
stem
stem8hollow
toxicity
toxicityZlowish

12th May 2009, Petersdale, Derbyshire. Photo: © RWD
Grows in wet grassland or by freshwater.


27th April 2013, Blackleach Resr, Walkden, Gtr M/cr. Photo: © RWD
Growing amidst Yellow Flag (the flat shoots).


27th April 2013, Blackleach Resr, Walkden, Gtr M/cr. Photo: © RWD
Stems (which vary from sturdily thick to thinnish) originate from a single root-stock, not from rooting nodes as does the var. radicans.


2nd May 2008, Hollingworth Branch Canal, Daisy Nook, M/cr. Photo: © RWD
The leaves nearly encircle the brown stems at the branch in the stem.


2nd May 2008, Hollingworth Branch Canal, Daisy Nook, M/cr. Photo: © RWD
There are between 5 and 8 yellow petals. The leaves are pinked at the edges.


2nd May 2008, Hollingworth Branch Canal, Daisy Nook, M/cr. Photo: © RWD
The petals are broader and less shiny than those of Yellow Celandine.


2nd May 2008, Hollingworth Branch Canal, Daisy Nook, M/cr. Photo: © RWD
Un-opened flower buds are globular and with brown marks on the sepals.


13th May 2005, Lancaster Canal, Lancashire. Photo: © RWD
Going to seed.


2nd May 2008, Hollingworth Branch Canal, Daisy Nook, M/cr. Photo: © RWD


5th May 2011, Lathkilldale, Derbyshire. Photo: © RWD
Petals fully un-curled.


5th May 2011, Lathkilldale, Derbyshire. Photo: © RWD
The stems may be fluted underneath the flower.


3rd April 2009, Glasson Dock branch, Lancaster Canal. Photo: © RWD
Flowers brilliant yellow with an unusual (for buttercup Family) matt finish.


3rd April 2009, Glasson Dock branch, Lancaster Canal. Photo: © RWD
Leaves large, bright-green, cordate shaped and with bold light-green veins radiating from the centre. Some seem not to be dentate with triangular teeth.


27th April 2013, Blackleach Resr, Walkden, Gtr M/cr. Photo: © RWD
Leaves dentate.
14th April 2015, Yarrow Valley Pk, Chorley, Lancs. Photo: © RWD
Underneath the flower. The petals are actually sepals.


14th April 2015, Yarrow Valley Pk, Chorley, Lancs. Photo: © RWD
Hollow stems.


Photo: © Ann Collier
The petals have dropped off revealing the naked deep-yellow stamens and the fewer green and deep-yellow styles, the green sacks of which will inflate to become the seed pods as the half a dozen or so seeds within each grow.


4th July 2016, Blackleach Country Pk, walkden, Gtr M/cr. Photo: © RWD
Inflated seed pods have opened, but the seeds have already dispersed.


4th July 2016, Blackleach Country Pk, walkden, Gtr M/cr. Photo: © RWD
These tiny shrivelled things in one pod could of course be anything that has dropped inside the pods whilst they have been opened a while, but maybe the stigmas were not fertilised and therefore any latent seeds were not viable and never grew(?).


4th July 2016, Blackleach Country Pk, walkden, Gtr M/cr. Photo: © RWD
Side view of opened seed pods


18th May 2014, Sandown Marshes, IoW. Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone
Ripening and inflated seed pods after both anthers and petals have all dropped off. This specimen has 8 pods.


18th May 2014, Sandown Marshes, IoW. Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone
Whereas this specimen has at least 11 pods.


Easily confused with : Yellow Celandine but Yellow Celandine has shinier leaves that are on stalks and which therefore do not clasp and almost encircle the flowering stem. The stems of Marsh Marigold are brownish. The petals of Yellow Celandine are narrower. Although Yellow Celandine also has a variable number of petals, but they are greater in number (7-12) as opposed to only 5-8 petals for Marsh Marigold.

Distinguishing Feature :

No relation to : Corn Marigold [a plant with similar name] which belongs to the Daisy Family rather than the Buttercup Family.

In hilly upland areas, but still by water, a smaller variety may be found called Caltha palustris var. radicans which has procumbent stems which take root at the nodes and is little-branched possessing only a single small flower. The BSBI seems not to list this variety, perhaps it is already extinct.


  Caltha palustris  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Ranunculaceae  

Distribution
family8Buttercup family8Ranunculaceae
 BSBI maps
genus8Caltha
Caltha
(Marsh-marigold)

MARSH MARIGOLD

Caltha palustris

Buttercup Family [Ranunculaceae]  

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