Backyard and Beyond

Starting out from Brooklyn, an amateur naturalist explores our world.

As John Burroughs said, “The place to observe nature is where you are.”

Two Yellow Flowers

Caltha palustrisMarsh Marigold (Caltha palustris), also known as Cowslip, at Brooklyn Bridge Park, where this perennial was planted along the freshwater gardens and continues to thrive, having survived the salty inundation of Sandy.
Ranunculus ficariaLesser Celandine (Ranunculus ficaria), growing all over the place, in this case in Prospect Park, where it wasn’t planted but spreads like wildfire under its own invasive engine.

Both of these plants are in the Buttercup family, Ranunnculaceae, so it isn’t surprising that they should be similar, with long stems, heart-shaped leaves with some toothiness, and, most obviously, the shiny yellow buttercuppy flowers. The LC has 8-12 petals and smaller leaves. Technically, MM doesn’t have petals, but it does have 5-9 petal-like sepals, usually the star-like five as above; its leaves look twice as large as the LC’s.

mthew

, , ,

5 responses to “Two Yellow Flowers”

  1. Mark Wilkinson

    The Celandine was apparently Wordsworth’s favourite flower (and not the daffodil as one might expect from his poetry).
    The Cowslip this side of the pond is a completely different flower – primula veris. Another example of two countries divided by a common language 🙂

    Reply
    1. mthew

      Don’t I know it, Mark! I’m boning up on that semi-different language for a trip to the UK in June.

      Reply
  2. Elizabeth

    Luckily the marsh marigold has the same name on both sides of the pond – it’s a circumpolar species. It’s also known as kingcup in the UK.

    Reply
    1. mthew

      The word “circumpolar” just smacks of Jules Verne. I like it.

      Reply
      1. Elizabeth

        Does sound as though it belongs in a steampunk novel, doesn’t it?

Leave a reply to mthew Cancel reply