Burnet-saxifrage?

[JennyS]

A quick id check is needed - would I be right in identifying this one as Burnet-saxifrage (Pimpinella saxifraga)? Thanks in advance!

[almostnormal]

certainly looks like it....but i'd hesitate to say i'm a 100% because i'm quite often wrong about carrots!

[Tiggrx]

Looks like Greater Burnet-saxifrage (Pimpinella major) to me.

[JennyS]

Thank you both - this is my dilemma with it..... Initially I thought Greater Burnet-saxifrage, but then I found a photograph of a plant in a different location which looks completely different, much bigger, different leaves.
The plant below seems a better match with the illustrations in Rose, Cassells, and Garrett and Streeter for Greater Burnet-saxifrage, which is why I'm wondering whether the one above is Burnet-saxifrage.....?



Sorry its such a bad photo - taken from the car in pouring rain!

[Tiggrx]

You are right - your second lot of photo's is definitely Greater B-s. I'm still not 100% sure about the first though. Burnet-saxifrage is a very variable plant and can often catch out much better botanists than me. I am most used to seeing it growing in short mown turf (usually churchyards).

I would expect to see at least some narrowly-dissected leaves on B-s which don't seem to occur on your plant.

Originally Posted by JennyS

Thank you both - this is my dilemma with it..... Initially I thought Greater Burnet-saxifrage, but then I found a photograph of a plant in a different location which looks completely different, much bigger, different leaves.
The plant below seems a better match with the illustrations in Rose, Cassells, and Garrett and Streeter for Greater Burnet-saxifrage, which is why I'm wondering whether the one above is Burnet-saxifrage.....?



Sorry its such a bad photo - taken from the car in pouring rain!

[PeterJL]

Don't think you can easily split these two with a photo Jenny. I've sat down next to whichever one it was with the books and found characters of both, leaving unconvinced of the id.

[JennyS]

Location had a bit to do with my initial id - the first plant was on much dryer, less fertile ground....
Having looked closer at all my photos of it there are no "narrowly-dissected leaves" to be seen anywhere.....but the stem does look ridged! Unfortunately there were no seedheads yet, so no id help there.
Looks like another one for the "hmmm" folder!