KILDARE WILDLIFE WATCH: Wood anemone mainly found in ancient woodlands

Last week my colleague found a wildflower that I don’t believe I have observed growing in the wild before, wood anemone (Lus na gaoithe as Gaeilge).

This is a native wildflower, and as it’s name suggests, it can be found growing in mature deciduous woodland.

Similar to many woodland wildflowers, including bluebell and primrose, this is an early flowering wildflower as it maximises its production of energy through the process of photosynthesis before the tree canopy closes, and light becomes limited on the woodland floor after the leaves emerge.

Wood anemone has six white sepals that are arranged in a star shape surrounding the bright yellow stamens.

The sepals look like petals, but are not. They are usually found below the petals and are often green, but in the case of wood anemone, they are larger and white resembling petals. The leaves are deeply lobed and are found close to the woodland floor, which can be described as basal. There are three leaves that are arranged in a whorl on the stem.

There is one plant that can be confused for wood anemone, and that is wood sorrel. But looking closely at the identifying features of each you can distinguish between them.

Wood sorrel has white petals, but they have distinctive pink veins. The leaves of wood sorrel are also different in shaped when compared to wood anemone, as they can be described as heart-shaped.

Wood anemone is an indicator species of ancient woodland in Ireland. According to the National Parks and Wildlife Service Ancient woodland refers to those woods that have had a continuous history of cover since before the period when planting and afforestation became common practice (mid-1600s).

The Irish name of wood anemone, Lus na Gaoithe, can be translated into ‘plant of the wind’. Wood anemone is believed to get this name as it has a flexible flower stem, growing 2-4cm in height, that can bend with the wind.

Will you come across wood anemone in your local woodland this week?

If you would like help identifying a wildlife species that you come observe e-mail bogs@ipcc.ie or call 045-860133.

- Nuala Madigan from the Bog of Allen Nature Centre at Lullymore