This is one of our handsomest wildflowers. It grows abundantly in
springtime by the side of ponds, or on the marshy edge of a slow-running
stream. It looks like a large, thick Buttercup.
The Marsh Marigold is closely related to the Buttercup family, though it
differs from the Buttercups in various ways.
The five bright yellow petals of the flowers are glossy, and have little
veins running up from the bottom.
In the centre of these petals there is a big bunch of yellow stamens,
with a group of green seed-vessels amongst them.
If you look at the back of an open flower you will see that there are no
green sepals such as there are in the Buttercups.
The flower-stalks are thick and hollow, with ridges along the sides.
They snap off easily when gathered, but very soon they lose their
stiffness and become soft and flabby. This means they are thirsty, and
if you give them plenty of water to drink they will soon be as stiff as
when they were growing.
The green leaves of the Marsh Marigold are dark above, but underneath
they are much lighter. They are very glossy and smooth, and each leaf is
covered with a fine network of veins.
In shape they are like a heart with crinkled edges.