A slight, slender, hairless little biennial or perennial, this delicate wildflower grows to 80cm on rocks, walls and limestone pavement. Its yellow flowers (7-10mm) are comprised of five, strap-shaped ray florets and are displayed in loose open clusters from June to September. The leaves are pinnate and toothed, the end lobe being triangular, and the upper leaves clasping the stems with rounded toothed lobes. This plant is usually found to have leaves and stems with a maroon-purple tinge. It is not thought to be a native plant and it belongs to the family Asteraceae.
My first record of this wildflower is in 1979 in Ballyvaughan, Co Clare. I photographed it in 1983 at Black Head also in Co Clare and I hope to revisit it in 2009, not just to admire it but to take a better photograph.
If you are satisfied you have correctly identified this plant, please submit your sighting to the National Biodiversity Data Centre
