Hairy Lady's-mantle - Alchemilla filicaulis

Tufted with mostly basal leaves, palmate or palmately lobed, toothed. Flowers, small, green or yellowish with 4 fused sepals but no petals. There are many similar species in this complex genus - they can be difficult to identify.

Alchemilla mollis is frequent as a garden escape; it is a much larger and more robust plant.  Alchemilla xanthochlora has been recorded in VC55 but is rare; it has glabrous flower stalks (pedicels) 

Small, prostrate plant, with epicalyx segments shorter  than sepals; pedicels hairy.

A photograph of the plant in its habitat

Short grassland and stony places.

June to September.

Perennial.

This is the most widespread Alchemilla in Britain but not common.

May now be nearly scarce in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 101 of the 617 tetrads.

In the current VC55 checklist, (Jeeves 2011) it is listed as native, old grassland; once widespread it is now apparently much less common than formerly and may be nearly scarce