Caltha palustris - (image 1 of 5)
Taxonomy
Family: Ranunculaceae
Habitat
Calcareous fens, marshes and moist woods.
Associates
Often found growing with skunk cabbage.
Distribution
Circumboreal; in North America south to VA, WV, IN, IL, and IA, and in mountain to NC and TN.
Morphology
Low perennial with hollow, branching stems to 60 cm. Basal leaves on long petioles, the blade cordate-rotund and usually with a deep and narrow sinus; cauline leaves on progressively shorter petioles and with a wider basal sinus; Flowers bright yellow, to 4 cm wide; sepals 5-9, petaloid; petals absent; stamens 50-120; anthers linear-oblong or lance-oblong, 2 mm; pistils 4-15; follicles 4-15, to 15 mm long.
Notes
Flowers early March to early June
Wetland indicator: Obligate
Also called cowslip, this is one of the first wetland plants to bloom in spring. Often dies back in the summer. Listed as endangered in TN.
References
Gleason, Henry A. and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. Second Ed.
The New York Botanical Garden. Bronx, NY
Swink, F. and G. Wilhelm. 1994. Plants of the Chicago Region.
Indiana Academy of Science. The Morton Arboretum. Lisle, Illinois.
USDA, NRCS. 2002. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5 (http://plants.usda.gov).
National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA
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© Michael Hough 2004 |