Caltha

Scientific name

Caltha L.

Common names

marsh marigold, king's cup, may blob, meadow-bright

Family

Ranunculaceae

Similar genera

Nymphoides, Ranunculus

Native distribution

temperate temperate:
(adj) of the climatic zone between boreal and tropical
regions of the world

Species cultivated

Caltha leptosepala DC.

C. natans Pall. ex Georgi.

C. palustris L. (C. polypetala Hochst. ex Lorent) (cosmopolitan)

Adventive distribution

information not available

Weed status

not weedy

Habit

emergent emergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water
rosette or creeping stem plant

Brief description

Perennial, herbaceous. Stem creeping or ascending, rhizomatousrhizomatous:
(adj) possessing rhizomes
. Leaves submergedsubmerged:
(adj) (syn. submersed) under water; submerged below the water surface
, floating or emergentemergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water
, in a rosetterosette:
(n) a radiating cluster of leaves, usually close to the ground at the base of a plant
, alternatealternate:
(adj) (of leaves) bearing one leaf per node; placed singly on the stem at different heights
; leaf bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
simple, lobedlobed:
(adj) divided into (usually rounded) segments
or reniformreniform:
(adj) kidney-shaped
to circular; marginmargin:
(n) edge; rim
entireentire:
(adj) having a continuous margin that is not toothed or lobed
or toothed, sometimes upturned basally. Flowers solitary or in loose cymosecymose:
(adj) in the form of a cyme; bearing cymes
panicles; actinomorphicactinomorphic:
(adj) of flowers, having radial symmetry; capable of being bisected into identifical halves along more than one axis
; perianthperianth:
(n) collective term for the calyx and corolla of a flower; also used for floral whorl(s) in which the calyx and corolla cannot be resolved; any of the leaves or bracts surrounding the sex organs of bryophytes
segments in single whorlwhorl:
(n) three or more similar organs arranged in a circle at the same point around an axis
, 5 or more, yellow or white. Dispersal of seeds by water or unknown.

Natural habitat

wet areas and margins of cool-cold waters, often around snowmelt runoff

Additional comments

Genus consists of six species plus seven varieties, found in temperatetemperate:
(adj) of the climatic zone between boreal and tropical
regions. Some species are recorded as poisonous when eaten.