Is this Parsley Water Dropwort?

[PMG]

A day on Anglesey yesterday found us ending up at Cors Bodeilio which is a lime marl on top of peat - limefed water fen - so some interesting plants! My botany has simply gone to pot in favour of photography this past 5 years and I told myself this was tubular water dropwort - when of course its nothing of the kind - but at least I was in the region of the correct species I've narrowed it down between two - all my instincts think its Parsley Water Drop - tho I'm used to finding this on the edge of estuaries - brackish. And the other would be Narrow leaved Water Drop. Both have bracts, both loose lower leaves, both flower at about this time - but narrow is a stream fen type and parsley is estuarine ........... Anyone got awny further clues that might help me close this one down to a definite??

Pauline

[Dorts]

Pauline,
Angelsey, what a great place for botanizing.
You're plant looks good to me as:
Parsley Water Dropwort- Oenanthe lachenalii. Not a common plant anywhere.
Dorts.

[Deb London]

My book gives the following pointers:

NLWD - Thicker stems (up to 12 mm), may be pruinose, inflorescence rays hollow, bracts few to absent, fruit 4 mm cylindrical with styles 1-2 mm.

PWD - Thinner stems (up to 5 mm), not pruinose, inflorescence rays solid, bracts few to several, fruit 2.5 mm ovoid with styles 1mm.

[PMG]

Thanks both for having a go from my one rather poor photo ..... there was no fruit yet and the lower leaves had gone. The abstract I'm struggling with is how likely is it that narrow-leaved grows in these lime fed fens on Anglesey (as in its a lovely queer mix of botany a bit like Sunbiggin Tarn so anything goes) and is parsley dp restricted to brackish estuarine edges or can it grow in fresh water habitats and how likely in limey water?

Gracie and I are planning a revisit next Mon for a lot of reasons not just to look at this - and there was plenty of it - and this time I willl get down in the mud and have a proper look and take some measurements etc and make a proper job!!

Thanks for thinking in the meanwhile!!

Pauline

[Dorts]

Pauline.
Just to endorse what I said earlyer. I am quite happy with my ID of Parsley Water Dropwort from your pic. Flowers look good, bracts beneath the umbel, narrow lower bracts. Stem 'looks' solid.

Although it is a plant mainly of coastal/esturine habitats, there are many inland records for it. It is fairly common on Anglesey, whereas Narrow-leaved Water Dropwort is a very local species, only found in a few inland sites and has never been recorded on Anglesey.
Dorts.

[PMG]

Originally Posted by Dorts

Pauline.
Just to endorse what I said earlyer. I am quite happy with my ID of Parsley Water Dropwort from your pic. Flowers look good, bracts beneath the umbel, narrow lower bracts. Stem 'looks' solid.

Although it is a plant mainly of coastal/esturine habitats, there are many inland records for it. It is fairly common on Anglesey, whereas Narrow-leaved Water Dropwort is a very local species, only found in a few inland sites and has never been recorded on Anglesey.
Dorts.

Thats great Dorts - thats what I was getting at - just how common either of them are and the chances of finding - that was the bit of information I couldn't seem to stumble across - sand what I needed to reassure me that parsely does grow elsewhere than coastal marshland! Thanks for that! Gracie and I are still going back next Mon weather permitting but this time to Cors Erddreinogg hopefully to spot the marsh gentian as this would be a new botanical tick for me - very exciting!!!

Pauline

[Dorts]

Originally Posted by PMG

Thats great Dorts - thats what I was getting at - just how common either of them are and the chances of finding - that was the bit of information I couldn't seem to stumble across - sand what I needed to reassure me that parsely does grow elsewhere than coastal marshland! Thanks for that! Gracie and I are still going back next Mon weather permitting but this time to Cors Erddreinogg hopefully to spot the marsh gentian as this would be a new botanical tick for me - very exciting!!!
Pauline

Hope you get the Marsh Gentian, it's a little cracker, but it needs to have sun, and plenty of it, otherwise the flowers will not be open which is not great for a few good shots.
best of luck.
Dorts.