Marsh Ragwort - Jacobaea aquatica

Stems often branched in the lower part. Basal leaves often unlobed. Flowerheads yellow, 25 to 30 mm, with 12 to 15 rays and borne in loose flat topped clusters. Bracts not black tipped.

Common Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea (= syn. Jacobaea vulgaris).  Oxford Ragwort and Hoary Ragwort are also similar, but grow in different habitats

Looser habit and corymbs than Common Ragwort; terminal lobe of leaves much larger than lateral lobes.  Bracts are not black-tipped

Photograph of the plant in habitat, showing lower and stem leaves as well as flowers.  It is not possible to verify the species from photos of the flowers alone. (RPR)

Ditches, water margins, damp and marshy places.

July and August.

Biennial.

Widespread and frequent in Britain.

It used to be fairly frequent in Leicestershire and Rutland, but is now in decline due to habitat loss.

In the Flora of Leicestershire (Primavesi and Evans 1988) it was found in 124 of the 617 tetrads, and in the Flora of Rutland (Messenger 1971) in  12 tetrads

It is listed on the current VC55 Rare Plant Register (Hall and Woodward 2022) because of its threat-level