Fool's-water-cress - Helosciadium nodiflorum

Low to medium, prostrate to ascending plant, the stems finely grooved, rooting at the lower nodes. Leaves 1 pinnate, with 5 to 13 oval or lanceolate, toothed segments. Flowers white and minute, the umbels leaf opposed, short stalked or unstalked, with 3 to 12 rays. No bracts, but with bracteoles.

Very similar to Lesser Water-parsnip when it isn't in flower, and often confused with it.  Sometimes mistaken for watercress.

No bracts, but bracteoles; flowers in leaf axils, not terminal.  Unlike Berula erecta, lacks a white ring-mark/ridge around the lower leaf petioles.

Photo of plant in its habitat with details of umbel.  Check lower leaf petioles

Wet habitats, wet ditches, etc.

July and August.

Perennial.

Common in most of Britain, but scarcer in northern England and Scotland.

Common in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 461 of the 617 tetrads.

In the current Checklist (Jeeves, 2011) it is listed as Native, locally abundant