Seasonal Wild Flowers

Latin name

Hottonia palustris

Other names

Featherfoil

Family

Primulaceae

Flowering season

Late April to June

English distribution

It is found throughout the country but is absent from the

Southwest and parts of the Midlands and the South.

For a map see the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland

– Water-violet

Habitat

It grows in clean, shallow ditches and ponds and is locally

common in the rhynes of the Somerset Levels.

Description

Water-violet is a native, aquatic, stoloniferous perennial

herb with flowering stems (scapes) up to 50cm.

Flowers are in whorls up the stem.

They are 5-merous with pale lilac petals which are yellow

at the base.

Stamens are yellow and at the top of the corolla tube.

Stigmas are capitate and, as in Primrose, are of 2 types

(heterostylous). Pin styles protrude from the corolla tube

and thrum styles are within the tube. The Online Atlas of 

The British And Irish Flora states that both pin and thrum 

types are required for fertilisation and the production of

seeds.

The fruits are capsules.

Sepals are lanceolate oblongs and glandular.

Leaves are submerged and finely, pinately divided.

Stems are also submerged and can be over 1m long.

They root from the nodes