Caltha natans : Floating Marsh-marigold

Scientific Name:

Kingdom: Plantae

Division:

• Tracheophyta (vascular)
• Spermatophyta (seed bearing)
Angiospermae (enclosed seed)

Class: Dicoteldonae (two seed-leaves)

Family: Ranunculaceae (Crowfoot/Buttercup Family)

Genera: Caltha (Marsh-marigold) (An early Gk. name for a yellow flowered plant, later transferred to this genus)

Species: natans

English Name(s):

Floating Marsh-marigold, White Marsh-marigold

First Nation Names:

Structure:

• Plant herbaceous (not woody) with colourless acrid (bitter) juice.
• Plant low, soft-stemed and glabrous (hairless).
• Creeping or floating marsh plants.
• Stems up to 1 meter long, rooting at nodes.

Leaves:

• Petioles up to 20cm long.
• Simple, cordate to reniform in shape, 3-5cm broad.
• Margins entrie (smooth) to crenate (round toothed).

Reproductive Parts:

• Flowers small, perfect (bisexual) and of regular symmetry.
• Flowers from leaf axils or terminal (at stem tips).
• Peduncles (stalks) up to 6 cm long.
• Sepals petaloid, white, 4-5mm long; petals none.
• Ovaries superior (above floral parts).

Seed:

• Fruit composed of several to many carpels.
• Follicles 4-6mm long, dry, dehiscent (spliting open) down one side, pod-like.
• Follicles in a dense head up to 1.5 cm in diameter, beaks straight.

Not to Be Confused With:

• Caltha palustris (Yellow Marsh-marigold) which has larger, yellow flowers.

Physiology:

Life Cycle:

• Perennial

Seasonal Cycle:

• plants deciduous from rootstock.

Animal Uses:

Habitat:

• Ponds, ditches and marshy meadows

Modern:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food:

Traditional Gwich'in:

Folklore:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food:

Traditional Other:

Folklore:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food: