COMMON WATER CROWFOOT : Ranunculus aquatilis
It is early June and the level of the River Leven is exceptionally low. It is surprising how many plants are thriving down at the waters edge - even those that will have been well under water for much of the year.
One of those is the common water crowfoot, also known as ranunculus aquatilis.
The example found here is growing very happily where there is muddy soil amongst stones. It seems to not cope further out where the river bed has less soil. While the photos below show it exposed with wet feet, it can still cope if the flowers rise with the water level, as long as they are at the surface during this period.
Note that there are several very similar plants within this group such as Ranunculus fluitans.
First Nature tells us that water-crowfoot is the collective common name of the several species most frequently seen in rivers, close to water if not actually in it.
The submerged leaves are finely divided: characteristic of a truly amphibious plant.
Sprinkles of white along the Leven.
Crowfoot thriving on the edges where river pebbles give way to damp mud.
Crowfoot happily in a sodden part of the Leven making most of wet mud between the rocks.
NATURE SPOT : https://www.naturespot.org.uk/species/river-water-crowfoot (river water-crowfoot)
WIKIPEDIA : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranunculus_trichophyllus (threadleaf crowfoot)
WILDLIFE TRUSTS : https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/wildflowers/common-water-crowfoot
