Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage is found throughout Ireland beside shady streams and in damp woodland and is a mat-forming perennial wildflower which forms a carpet of low-growing yellow-green vegetation. Its tiny flowers (3-5mm across) don't have petals but instead they have four yellow-green sepals surrounding bright yellow stamens. They bloom from March to July in flat-topped clusters and are backed by green-yellow bracts. The round leaves are short-stalked and in opposite pairs and the whole plant rarely exceeds 15cm in height. This is a native plant which belongs to the Saxifragaceae family.
My first record of this little plant is in 1989 in the Devil's Glen, Co Wicklow and I photographed it beside a stream in Old Bridge, Co Wicklow in 2008.
If you are satisfied you have correctly identified this plant, please record your sighting for the 2010 wildflower mapping survey at www.biology.ie
