Buttercup Family [Ranunculaceae] |
status
flower
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morph
petals
stem
toxicity
sex
CHALK-STREAM WATER-CROWFOOTRanunculus penicillatus ssp. pseudofluitans |
1st July 2018, Ampney House, Ampney, Cirencester. | Photo: © Mike Baldwin |
1st July 2018, Ampney House, Ampney, Cirencester. | Photo: © Mike Baldwin |
In this photo it seems that at least some of the leaves are laminar (flat), which means that it cannot be ssp. pseudofluitans, aka Chalk-stream Water-crowfoot. But do these flat leaves belong to this plant or not, that is the question. If they do not belong to this plant, then this plant must be ssp. pseudofluitans as concluded from other photos lower down this page. Confusing isn't it! |
1st July 2018, Ampney House, Ampney, Cirencester. | Photo: © Mike Baldwin |
It looks like that there both sub-species of Stream Water-crowfoot in the following images, but the plants are deceptive: The leaves here are flaccid with parallel segments which would suggest they are the sub-species ssp. penicillatus |
1st July 2018, Ampney House, Ampney, Cirencester. | Photo: © Mike Baldwin |
Whereas the leaves of the ssp. pseudofluitans are all 'capillary' leaves (which are thin, wiry, with both flaccid (floppy) and roughly-parallel segments and usually forked between 6 to 8 times). However this ssp. pseudofluitans can have both parallel and divergent leaf segments. Here they are roughly divergent. |
1st July 2018, Ampney House, Ampney, Cirencester. | Photo: © Mike Baldwin |
But the clinching identifier for all these photos probably being ssp. penicillatus seems to your Author to be that the capillary leaves (those thiner ones at the ends) are longer than the adjacent stem internode (the connecting branch). Indeed, without these leaves identification seems to be very difficult if not impossible. Also, ssp. penicillatushas both laminar (flat) leaves and capillary (wiry) leaves, as displayed on the differing photos. So, it is indeed ssp. penicillatus. |
1st July 2018, Ampney House, Ampney, Cirencester. | Photo: © Mike Baldwin |
The flowers do not seem to help in the differentiation between ssp. pseudofluitans (Chalk-stream Water-crowfoot) and ssp. pennicillatus (Stream Water-crowfoot), but that matters little now, we have concluded that these specimens are Chalk-stream Water-crowfoot. The dull-green and round and long flower stalk holds the flower well above the water surface. |
1st July 2018, Ampney House, Ampney, Cirencester. | Photo: © Mike Baldwin |
The five white petals have a large golden-yellow central area with numerous golden-yellow anthers and several much shorter green styles in the centre. Underneath the flower are some yellowish sepals. |
STREAM WATER-CROWFOOTRanunculus penicillatus ssp. pseudofluitansSorry, no photos yet, contributors welcome |
Hybridizes with :
Easily mis-identified as :
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Ranunculus | penicillatus | ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ | Ranunculaceae |
Ranunculus (Water-Crowfoots) |
Buttercup Family [Ranunculaceae] |