{"id":64993,"date":"2023-01-18T14:16:44","date_gmt":"2023-01-18T14:16:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/?p=64993"},"modified":"2025-03-29T12:47:00","modified_gmt":"2025-03-29T12:47:00","slug":"saxifrage-golden-opposite-and-alternate-leaved","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2023\/01\/18\/saxifrage-golden-opposite-and-alternate-leaved\/","title":{"rendered":"Alternate-leaved Saxifrage (Chrysoplenium alternifolium) Identification"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1><strong>Alternate-leaved Saxifrage \/ Spring \/ Summer \/ Autumn \/ Winter \/ Edible<\/strong><\/h1>\n<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-64993 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-medium'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2023\/01\/05\/opposite-leaved-golden-saxifrage-chrysosplenium-oppositifolium-identification\/859px-opposite-leaved_golden_saxifrage_chrysosplenium_oppositifolium_4507772435\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"239\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/859px-Opposite-leaved_Golden_Saxifrage_Chrysosplenium_oppositifolium_4507772435-e1670866834297-239x300.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-62030\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/859px-Opposite-leaved_Golden_Saxifrage_Chrysosplenium_oppositifolium_4507772435-e1670866834297-239x300.jpg 239w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/859px-Opposite-leaved_Golden_Saxifrage_Chrysosplenium_oppositifolium_4507772435-e1670866834297-119x150.jpg 119w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/859px-Opposite-leaved_Golden_Saxifrage_Chrysosplenium_oppositifolium_4507772435-e1670866834297.jpg 477w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 239px) 100vw, 239px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-62030'>\n\t\t\t\tPhil Sellens from East Sussex, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2023\/01\/18\/saxifrage-golden-opposite-and-alternate-leaved\/alt-leaved-saxifrage-in-situ-min\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"224\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Alt-leaved-saxifrage-in-situ-min-300x224.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Alt-leaved-saxifrage-in-situ-min-300x224.jpg 300w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Alt-leaved-saxifrage-in-situ-min-150x112.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Alt-leaved-saxifrage-in-situ-min.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2023\/01\/18\/saxifrage-golden-opposite-and-alternate-leaved\/alt-leaved-saxifrage-close-up-of-the-flowewr-min\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"242\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Alt.-leaved-saxifrage-close-up-of-the-flowewr-min-242x300.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Alt.-leaved-saxifrage-close-up-of-the-flowewr-min-242x300.jpg 242w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Alt.-leaved-saxifrage-close-up-of-the-flowewr-min-121x150.jpg 121w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Alt.-leaved-saxifrage-close-up-of-the-flowewr-min.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 242px) 100vw, 242px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>There are a couple of types of Saxifrage, they all tend to grow in woodlands and provide good foraging through all seasons. Typically slightly dry but a nice addition to most dishes.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>Common Names<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Alternate-leaved Saxifrage<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>Botanical Name<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Chrysoplenium alternifolium<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>Scientific Classification<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b>Kingdom<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 Plantae<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Order<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013Saxifragales\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Family<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 Saxifragaceae<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>Physical Characteristics of Alternate-leaved Saxifrage<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Low growing, often forming dense mats of foliage and flowers.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>Leaves<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The leaves associated with the flowers are very similar indeed to <a href=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2023\/01\/05\/opposite-leaved-golden-saxifrage-chrysosplenium-oppositifolium-identification\/\">Opposite-Leaved Golden Saxifrage.<\/a>\u00a0 The leaves on the stem are alternate, but the most obvious difference between these two plants are the base leaves.\u00a0 They are cordate, (heart shaped), and have a much larger petiole attaching it to the stem.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>Flowers<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>As above but slightly larger, 5-6mm across.<\/p>\n<p>As the name suggests, it is the leaves associated with the flowers in both of these species that are golden, not the flowers themselves.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>Habitat<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Both Saxifrage species like woodland flushes, stream sides, wet springs, wet rocks on acid rocks and are often found growing together. Alternate-leaved Saxifrage is slightly more restricted to base-rich moving ground water and also likes upland mossy flushes.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>Known Hazards<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>None known for the plant itself, but it&#8217;s worth reading up about Liver fluke as growing in very damp environments this could be something to be wary of, we have a nice piece on<a href=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2023\/01\/05\/what-is-liver-fluke\/\"> liver fluke right here<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2023\/01\/05\/what-is-liver-fluke\/\">What is Liver Fluke?<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>Could be confused with<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>There\u2019s really not much this low growing plant could be confused with apart from Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage, (which is also edible) especially once you know where to look for it.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>Edible Use<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The leaves of both Opposite\u00a0 and Alternate leaved Saxifrage make a nice addition to a salad.\u00a0 They taste a little peppery with a nice crunch.\u00a0 Some folk find them slightly bitter, but mixed through a salad with other greens, this is not an overwhelming flavour.\u00a0 It could also be added to pestos, smoothies, juices and used as a pot herb.<\/p>\n<p>Use a sharp knife to cut the stems of the plant, otherwise you\u2019ll end up with lots of muddy roots amongst your greens.\u00a0 Wash the leaves well before consumption, again, they\u2019ll likely be a bit muddy due to the nature of where they like to grow.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>Notes on Herbal uses<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>None known<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>Extra notes from the Foragers<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>There is no apparent folklore associated with Golden-leaved Saxifrage, although <em>Chrysoplenium oppositifolium <\/em>is the county flower of Clackmanannshire in Scotland.\u00a0 I did try to do some digging to find out why it was chosen but came to a dead end.<\/p>\n<p>The etymological root of the binomial name Chrysoplenium is derived from Latin chrysitis meaning \u2018golden\u2019 and spen meaning \u2018spleen\u2019.\u00a0 This refers to the flowers which are golden in colour and with no petals, which is possibly where the spleen part of the name comes from. The species name of both plants in this genus is self explanatory and refers to the leaves, folium, foliage and alternate or opposite.\u00a0 So opposite leaves or alternate leaves<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>References<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thehazeltree.co.uk\/2018\/04\/06\/golden-saxifrage\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/thehazeltree.co.uk\/2018\/04\/06\/golden-saxifrage\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.plantlife.org.uk\/uk\/discover-wild-plants-nature\/plant-fungi-species\/opposite-leaved-golden-saxifrage\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.plantlife.org.uk\/uk\/discover-wild-plants-nature\/plant-fungi-species\/opposite-leaved-golden-saxifrage<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/wildflowerfinder.org.uk\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/wildflowerfinder.org.uk\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/paulkirtley.co.uk\/2011\/foraging-early-spring-greens\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/paulkirtley.co.uk\/2011\/foraging-early-spring-greens\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naturalmedicinalherbs.net\/herbs\/c\/chrysosplenium-alternifolium=golden-saxifrage.php\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/www.naturalmedicinalherbs.net\/herbs\/c\/chrysosplenium-alternifolium=golden-saxifrage.php<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Alternate-leaved Saxifrage \/ Spring \/ Summer \/ Autumn \/ Winter \/ Edible There are a couple of types of Saxifrage, they all tend to grow in woodlands and provide good foraging through all seasons. Typically slightly dry but a nice addition to most dishes. Common Names Alternate-leaved Saxifrage Botanical Name&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1050,"featured_media":62030,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[101,1778,1780,86,1776,1777,1779],"tags":[1583,239,1707,1706,152,1705,1703,1704,104,238,122],"class_list":["post-64993","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-plant-identification","category-autumn","category-edible","category-plants","category-spring","category-summer","category-winter","tag-all-year","tag-autumn","tag-chrysoplenium-alternifolium","tag-chrysoplenium-oppositifolium","tag-edible","tag-golden-saxifrage","tag-opposite-leaved-golden-saxifrage","tag-saxifrage","tag-spring","tag-summer","tag-winter"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64993","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1050"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=64993"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64993\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":122613,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64993\/revisions\/122613"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/62030"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=64993"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=64993"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=64993"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}