The name Lady's-mantle covers quite a few plants which are remarkably similar to one another. The identifying feature of the plant collection is its distinctive leaves which seem to be pleated, are palmately lobed, with some cut down to the base, others not so. These leaves are velvety and as can be seen from the photograph hold drops of moisture on warm days. This is not rain or dew but rather the moisture emanates from the leaves themselves through small pores. They have very tiny little green flowers (3mm approx) without petals. The flowers are in terminal cymes or clusters and they bloom from May to September. These plants belong to the very large family Rosaceae and are native.
I found my first Lady's-mantle on the slopes of Ballycahill, County Clare in 1981. I photographed it on Slieve Elva in 2009 and the first two photographs of the flowers and the also single leaf are of the plants growing there. The other photographs were taken in County Wexford in 2008 and I am sure, by their location, they are garden escapes. Paul Green, Vice-county Recorder for Wexford, tells me they are Achemilla mollis, a garden variety.
If you are satisfied you have correctly identified this plant, please submit your sighting to the National Biodiversity Data Centre
