Marsh-marigold - Caltha palustris

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Alternative names
Kingcup
Description

Short tufted plant, stems upright to creeping and rooting at the nodes. Leaves heart shaped, toothed the lower mostly long stalked. Flowers bright shiny golden yellow, 15 to 50 mm often greenish beneath.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

Wet meadows, pool margins, marshes, ditches and wet woodland.

When to see it

March to August.

Life History

Perennial.

UK Status

Frequent throughout Britain.

VC55 Status

Fairly frequent in Leicestershire and Rutland, but may be locally freuent. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 224 of the 617 tetrads.

  • David Nicholls
    Aylestone Meadows
    16 April 2016
  • David Nicholls
    Lea Meadows
    22 May 2015
    seed head
  • Graham Calow
    Jubilee walk, Leire
    04 May 2011
  • David Nicholls
    Ulverscroft
    18 May 2012
  • David Gould
    The Spearwort Fields, Aylestone, Leicester
    26 April 2015

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015

UK Map

Species data profile ?

Species profile

Common names
Giant Kingcup, Marsh-marigold
Species group:
Wildflowers
Kingdom:
Plantae
Order:
Ranunculales
Family:
Ranunculaceae
Records on NatureSpot:
245
First record:
25/04/2004 (Gamble, David)
Last record:
14/09/2024 (Brown, Jennifer)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

The latest images and records displayed below include those awaiting verification checks so we cannot guarantee that every identification is correct. Once accepted, the record displays a green tick.

In the Latest Records section, click on the header to sort A-Z, and again to sort Z-A. Use the header boxes to filter the list.

Latest images

Latest records

  • Graham Calow
    Leire, Jubilee Walk (Disused Railway)
    26 April 2009
  • David Nicholls
    Thornton Reservoir
    27 April 2013
  • David Nicholls
    Lea Meadows
    16 April 2014
  • David Gould
    The Spearwort Fields, Aylestone, Leicester
    18 April 2015
  • Graham Calow
    Frolesworth
    09 April 2015
  • Graham Calow
    Stoney Stanton
    20 April 2013
  • David Nicholls
    Ulverscroft NR
    16 April 2011
  • David Nicholls
    Ulverscroft
    18 May 2012
  • Barbara Cooper
    Long Clawson
    12 May 2012
  • Graham Calow
    Bouskell Park, Blaby
    16 April 2006
  • Graham Calow
    Jubilee walk, Leire
    04 May 2011
  • David Gould
    The Spearwort Fields
    18 May 2013
  • David Nicholls
    Lea Meadows
    16 April 2014
  • David Nicholls
    Ratby Village Pond
    05 May 2011
  • Barbara Cooper
    Long Clawson
    21 May 2011
  • Barbara Cooper
    Holwell Nature Reserve
    17 May 2012
  • David Nicholls
    Thornton Reservoir
    27 April 2013
  • Ron.stevens
    CromfordnWay Pond
    24 April 2013
  • Graham Calow
    Jubilee Walk, Leire
    15 April 2014
  • Alan Semper
    Melton Town Park, Priors Close
    13 May 2013
  • David Nicholls
    Lea Meadows
    16 April 2014
  • David Nicholls
    Ratby
    26 April 2022
  • David Nicholls
    Twycross Zoo
    18 April 2015