SLENDER PARSLEY PIERT

Aphanes australis

Rose [Rosaceae]

month8apr month8april month8may month8jun month8june month8jul month8july month8aug month8sep month8sept

flower
flower8green		 inner
inner8white		 petals
petalsZ0		 stem
stem8round

2nd Sept 2010, Twl Du, Llyn Idwal, Snowdonia. Photo: © RWD
Growing amongst Club Moss high up in the valley, it is equally at home in lowland arable fields, where it is less conspicuous. A sprawling low plant, barely 4 inches above ground.


2nd Sept 2010, Twl Du, Llyn Idwal, Snowdonia. Photo: © RWD
Each stem has a halo of very short leaves radiating in all directions from it.


2nd Sept 2010, Twl Du, Llyn Idwal, Snowdonia. Photo: © RWD
Many leaflets are deeply divided into three. Differs from Parsley Pier in having longer leaflets. In the centres nestle the petal-less flower which has four in-curving sepals forming a cup that is slightly ajar. Parsley Piert, however, has straight sepals.


2nd Sept 2010, Twl Du, Llyn Idwal, Snowdonia. Photo: © RWD
The stem has leaflets branching off at irregular intervals, more frequent near the tip. The leaves have a few longish hairs.


2nd Sept 2010, Twl Du, Llyn Idwal, Snowdonia. Photo: © RWD
All leaves end in a triangular point. Hairs not straight.


2nd Sept 2010, Twl Du, Llyn Idwal, Snowdonia. Photo: © RWD
Some leaves split into five as they do with Parsley Piert. Despite the lack of petals, there are some structures deep within the sepals and largely hidden by them. A glimpse of these can be seen here. Each flower is minute, being hardly half a millimeter across.

Not to be confused with : Garden Parsley, nor to Parsley Fern which it slightly resembles, nor to Fool's Parsley, nor to, nor to Stone Parsley, nor to Cow Parsley, nor to Hedge Parsley, nor to Milk Parsley [plants with similar names]

Superficial resemblance to : Parsley Fern in that is is totally green and low and grows in some similar places.

Lookee-Likees : Parsley Piert

Uniquely identifiable characteristics

Distinguishing Feature :

The flowers of this plant have no petals, but they do have two rings of four green, inwardly curved sepals. [Those of it's cousin, Parsley Piert have two rings of four straight sepals].

It grows on bare or arable ground, and un-like Parsley Piert avoiding lime.

In traditional medicine, Parsley Piert has been used to treat kidney stones, for it contains substances that (slowly) dissolves them. It is a diuretic and contains tannins. Whether Slender Parsley Piert has these same properties is un-clear, but it probably does.

It obtains it's name by its apparent ability to break through stoney ground, perce-pierre, and perhaps this is why it was advocated to break kidney stones too.

It is regarded as a weed that is hard to control when in a garden, for its seeds can lie dormant long periods, awaiting suitable conditions to sprout forth and multiply.

ANY TEXT GOES HERE

Distribution
family8Rose family8Rosaceae
BSBI maps
genus8Aphanes
Aphanes
(Parsley-Pierts)

SLENDER PARSLEY PIERT

Aphanes australis

Rose [Rosaceae]

WildFlowerFinder Homepage