Green & Brown Flowers

Plants with Green or Brown Flowers

Green or brown flowers are most often found on plants that are not insect-pollinated and generally have rather small petals. Many of them are wind-pollinated and so do not need to advertise their wares with bright colours. This section also includes a number of plants with flowers that are completely petalless (thus appear green) or plants whose flowers may be tinged reddish or whitish in colour but appear insignificant because they are so small.

As well as flower colour, it is important to take careful note of the exact petal shape (where they exist!) - are the petals rounded, or do they came to a sharp point, for example; are there gaps between the petals or do they overlap; are the flowers solitary, or arranged in spikes or bunches.

Within the colour sections, the pictures are grouped so that similar-looking (though not necessarily closely-related) plants will be near each other. This should help to reduce your search time. To keep things concise, not all species are shown in the colour keys, so you may have to go for a 'best match' to get you through to the next stage of the identification process. Particularly in large families where there are a number of very similar species, a representative species is shown here, but clicking on it will take you to a page that tells you how to tell the more difficult species apart.

Many plants will be obviously one colour or another, obviously five petalled, or obviously a woody shrub, etcetera. But many will be debatable. In such cases, I have tried to imagine how a flower might be perceived by others, especially beginners to plant identification. Generally this results in a plant appearing in more than one place on these pages, but some still remain problematic. In particular, the section labelled 'tubular flowers' contains a variety of flowers that might be considered to fall into that category and these generally have petals that are fused together to fully surround the sexual parts of the flower. But these tubes might be elongate like a pencil, or broad and bell-like. Flowers of two colours are entered under the colour that covers most of the flower, but equally bicoloured flowers may be entered under both colours. Woody plants with green stems that might not be considered woody, are entered under their flower colour or shape, as well as under the woody plants sections.

If you still can't find your plant, you either have something very interesting that you may wish to tell me about, or I just haven't got a picture of it yet - I'm still working on the latter!!

Click on the pictures below to go to the species pages.

No Petals


European Sweet-flag - Unusual, finger-like mass of petalless flowers, arising from sword-like leaves, in water or wet ground	Grasses - Compact mass of petalless flowers atop a slender, upright, rounded (not three-sided) stem, above grass-like leaves	Grasses - Very narrow and elongated head of petalless flowers atop a slender, round (not three-sided) stem, above grass-like leaves	Grasses - Loose clusters of petalless florets on rounded (not three-sided) stems, atop grass-like leaves


Club-rushes - Tight clusters of petalless flowers atop a three-sided stem	Grasses - Clusters of petalless, pendant flowers on slender stems that tremble in the breeze	Grasses - Stiff heads of rows of neatly alternating, overlapping scales	Sedges - Stiff, upright spikes of flowers above grass-like leaves, usually in wet places. Upper and lower spikelets usually slightly different in appearance


Sedges - Stiff, upright spikes of flowers above grass-like leaves	Sedges - Flower clusters like fluffy paint brushes	Sedges - Stiff, upright spikes, patterned in green and dark brown, on three-sided stems	Sedges - Long, finger-like spikes on three-sided stems


Sedges - Open spikes of petalless flowers on three-sided stems	Grasses - Open spikes of petalless flowers on rounded stems	Grasses - Tight heads of petalless flowers with long bristles	Spike-rushes - Tight, oval heads of petalless flowers at the top of slender, grass-like stems. Usually in wetlands


Galingales - Flowers made up of flattened, overlapping scales, accompanied by long, slender bracts, on three-sided stems	Grasses - Stiff heads of rows of neatly alternating, overlapping scales with long bristles	Rushes - Dense clusters of petalless florets appearing at the side of grass-like stems, most often in wet ground	Rushes - Loose clusters of petalless florets appearing at the side of grass-like stems, most often in wet ground


Wood-rushes - Tight clusters of brownish florets; plant with long, white, silky hairs	Ferns - A strange, green finger of 'flowers', arising from the base of a single leaf. Scarce in species-rich grasslands	Grasses - Open head of petalless flowers atop a slender, round (not three-sided) stem, above grass-like leaves	Nettles - Tiny flowers in tight, ball-like clusters on bristly plant that stings if touched!


Club-rushes - Small, nobbly, brown flower clusters on slender, rounded stems; growing in or close to water	Arrowgrasses - Tiny, petalless flowers in small clusters in a long, slender spike, above fleshy, grass-like leaves. Wetlands, including saltmarsh	Bur-reeds - Spherical clusters of flowers in a spike, above grass-like stems, growing in water or very wet ground	Pirr-pirri-burs - Flowers in a dense 'drumstick', becoming spikey fruits that stick to everything. Plants creeping, forming spreading mats


Parsley-pierts - Minuscule flowers (hand lens required) in clusters, surrounded by a frilly 'collar' on tiny, parsley-like plants of open, disturbed ground	Mousetail - Petalless, but with five petal-like sepals at the base of a central green spike that grows longer with age. Scarce in wet places	Hemp - Inconspicuous flowers in leaf axils of upright stems, on plants with fingered leaves	Water-milfoils - Whorled Water-milfoil" title="Inconspicuous flowers in leaf axils of upright stems, emerging from ponds and ditches


Nettles - Tiny flowers in spreading or dangling clusters on bristly plant that stings if touched!	Common Mistletoe - Peculiar, tiny yellowish-green flowers on a plant growing as a parasite on woody trees	Sea-purslane - Tight clusters of tiny flowers with a mealy covering; saltmarshes	Goosefoots & oraches - Tight clusters of tiny flowers with a mealy covering; disturbed and waste places


Goosefoots & oraches - Tight clusters of tiny flowers in the leaf axils; disturbed and waste places	Spurges - Flowers petalless, in greenish-yellow heads	Spurges - Flowers petalless, in greenish-yellow heads	Dog's Mercury - Slender, upright spikes of a few flowers in the leaf axils


Dog's Mercury - Small, inconspicuous clusters of a few flowers in the leaf axils	Docks - Small, pendant flowers in branched flower spikes	Glassworts - Barely visible flowers with yellow anthers just protruding from behind green bracts; succulent, finger-like plants in saltmarshes	Plantains - Oval heads of flowers on long stalks above a rosette of leaves


Plantains - Oval heads of flowers on long stalks above a rosette of leaves	Plantains - Spike-like heads of flowers on long stalks above a rosette of leaves	Plantains - Spike-like heads of flowers on long stalks above a rosette of leaves	Buttonweeds - Small plants with tiny leaves and tiny flowers packed into button-like heads


Mugworts - Lines of brownish florets hanging below the branches	Wormwoods - Open heads of flowers above deeply cut leaves	Ragweeds - Open heads of tightly clustered flowers above deeply cut leaves	Cockleburs - Clusters of tiny flowers with distinctly hooked spines at their bases; leaves rough like sandpaper or plant very spiny


Fleabanes - Tight heads in clusters on weedy-looking plants	Cudweeds - Tight heads in clusters on white-hairy plants	Raspworts - Tiny flowers with swollen green bases on plants with a purple-bronze colouration	Pearlworts - Tiny, moss-like plants, growing on walls of cracks in paving


Gunneras - Massive spikes of many, tiny flowers, up to a metre in length	Bulrushes - Flowers a dense fluffy mass on a single stem, above very long, strap-like leaves. Usually in or near water or wet ground	Bulrushes - Flowers a dense fluffy mass on a single stem, above very long, strap-like leaves. Usually in or near water or wet ground	Pondweeds - Flowers appear petalless but have four, bract-like tepals, carried in a thin spike, protruding from the beneath the water surface or on wet mud

Onehunga-weed - Very small flowers, the entire head less than 1cm across and with sharp thorns

Four Petals


Travellers-joy - Flowers with four petal-like sepals on climbing or scrambling, woody stems	Herb Paris - Unusual flower with four petal-like bracts, on a stalk above four, rounded leaves. Rare, in ancient woodland sites	Herb Paris - Unusual flower with four petal-like bracts, on a stalk above four, rounded leaves. Rare, in ancient woodland sites	Moschatel - Very small flowers on a single stalk, raised above the leaves; creeping plant in wooodland


Mistletoe - Peculiar, tiny yellowish-green flowers on a plant growing as a parasite on woody trees	Raspworts - Tiny flowers with swollen green bases on plants with a purple-bronze colouration	Pearlworts - Tiny, moss-like plants, growing on walls of cracks in paving	Pondweeds - Flowers appear petalless but have four, bract-like tepals, carried in a thin spike, protruding from the beneath the water surface or on wet mud

Five Petals


Beets - Small, green flowers arranged in small groups in a long, open spike	White Bryony - Inconspicous flowers in small clusters on trailing or climbing stems with tendrils	Mousetail - Five petal-like sepals at the base of a central green spike that grows longer with age. Scarce in wet places	Sea-blites - Five petal-like sepals, hidden at the base of fleshy leaves; coastal habitats


Pokeweeds - Tall, branching perennials with flowers crowded in sturdy, upright spikes	Moschatel - Very small flowers on a single stalk, raised above the leaves; creeping plant in wooodland	Small Kidneyweed - Tiny flowers on creeping stems with tiny, rounded or kidney-shaped leaves	Ruptureworts and allies - Tiny flowers on creeping stems with rounded or needle-shaped leaves

Spurges - Shrub-like plants with lush leaves and large, rounded clusters of reddish-brown flowers and milky sap

Six Petals


Common Asparagus - Small, pendulous flowers, within a mass of whispy stems and fine, needle-like foliage	Rushes - Clusters of flowers atop grass-like stems, most often in wet ground	Common Butcher's-broom - Tiny flowers on rigid, spiny 'leaves'	Black Bryony - Tiny flowers in small clusters on twining, climbing stems

Fen Orchid - Tiny plants in permanently wet ground with a small spike of yellow-green, upward-facing flowers

More Than Six Petals


Lady's-mantles - Tiny flowers with eight petal-like calyx lobes in conspicuous, yellow-green heads above palmate leaves	Herb-Paris - Unusual flower with four petal-like bracts, on a stalk above four, rounded leaves. Rare, in ancient woodland sites	Herb-Paris - Unusual flower with four petal-like bracts, on a stalk above four, rounded leaves. Rare, in ancient woodland sites

Many-rayed Flowers

Common Carline Thistle - Very spiny thistles in open, grassy places

Tubular Flowers (petals fused into a tube-like form)


Lords-and-ladies - Strange, 'hooded' flowers with a central, finger-like spike of brown or yellow	Birthworts - Strange, curved flowers, appearing singly from the leaf axils	Hellebores - Five petal-like sepals form a short tube, with flowers forming drooping clusters	Common Navelwort - Many small flowers in upright spikes above rounded, succulent leaves


Common Asparagus - Small, pendulous flowers, buried within a mass of whispy stems and fine, needle-like foliage	Yellow Bird's-nest - Almost colourless plants with no leaves and flowers clustered at the top of a short stem

Many-flowered Heads


European Sweet-flag - Unusual, finger-like mass of petalless flowers, arising from sword-like leaves, in water or wet ground	Grasses - Compact mass of petalless flowers atop a slender, upright, rounded (not three-sided) stem, above grass-like leaves	Grasses - Dense or loose clusters of petalless florets on rounded (not three-sided) stems, atop grass-like leaves	Club-rushes - Tight clusters of petalless flowers atop a three-sided or rounded stem


Grasses - Clusters of petalless, pendant flowers on slender stems that tremble in the breeze	Grasses - Stiff heads of rows of neatly alternating, overlapping scales; no petals	Grasses - Stiff heads of rows of neatly alternating, overlapping scales with long bristles	Sedges - Stiff, upright spikes of flowers above grass-like leaves, usually in wet places. Upper and lower spikelets usually slightly different in appearance


Sedges - Stiff, upright spikes of flowers above grass-like leaves	Sedges - Flower clusters like fluffy paint brushes	Sedges - Stiff, upright spikes, patterned in green and dark brown, on three-sided stems	Sedges - Long, finger-like spikes on three-sided stems


Sedges - Open spikes of petalless flowers on three-sided stems	Grasses - Open spikes of petalless flowers on rounded stems	Grasses - Tight heads of petalless flowers with long bristles	Spike-rushes - Tight, oval heads of petalless flowers at the top of slender, grass-like stems. Usually in wetlands


Galingales - Flowers made up of flattened, overlapping scales, accompanied by long, slender bracts, on three-sided stems	Rushes - Clusters of flowers atop grass-like stems, most often in wet ground	Rushes - Dense clusters of petalless florets appearing at the side of grass-like stems, most often in wet ground	Rushes - Loose clusters of petalless florets appearing at the side of grass-like stems, most often in wet ground


Grasses - Open head of petalless flowers atop a slender, round (not three-sided) stem, above grass-like leaves	Wood-rushes - Tight clusters of brownish florets; plant with long, white, silky hairs	Honey Garlic - Nodding, bell-shaped, greenish flowers with varying amounts of reddish maroon colouring. On a tall stem from a bulb	Pondweeds - Dense, finger-like spikes of petalless flowers, growing in water or on very wet ground


Club-rushes - Small, nobbly, brown flower clusters on slender, rounded stems; growing in or close to water	Black Bryony - Tiny flowers in small clusters on twining, climbing stems	Arrowgrasses - Tiny, petalless flowers in small clusters in a long, slender spike, above fleshy, grass-like leaves. Wetlands, including saltmarsh	Lizard Orchid - Strange reddish/green flowers with elongated 'tails'; in a loose spike. Very rare


Lady's-mantles - Tiny flowers with eight petal-like calyx lobes in conspicuous, yellow-green heads above palmate leaves	Sand Lucerne - Strangely-coloured greenish-maroon flowers with shades of yellowish or purple, on low, branching stems with trifoliate leaves	Orchids - Narrow, upright spikes of yellowish-green flowers	Orchids - Whole flower spike a glossy, brownish-straw colour, without leaves


Amaranths - Flowers in a dense, petalless, spiky mass	Sea-purslane - Tight clusters of tiny flowers with a mealy covering; saltmarshes	Goosefoots & Oraches - Tight clusters of tiny flowers with a mealy covering; disturbed and waste places	Goosefoots & Oraches - Tight clusters of tiny flowers in the leaf axils; disturbed and waste places


Spurges - Flowers petalless, in greenish-yellow heads	Pokeweeds - Tall, branching perennials with flowers crowded in sturdy, upright spikes	Ruptureworts - Tiny flowers with five petal-like sepals, on small, creeping plants	Swinecresses - Tiny, petalless flowers with four petal-like sepals, on small, creeping plants


Knawels - Tight heads of spiky-looking, petalless flowers on small, low-growing plants	Broomrapes - Narrowly tubular flowers in a spike, arising straight from the ground with no leaves or stems	Fleabanes - Tight heads in clusters on weedy-looking plants	Cudweeds - Tight heads in clusters on white-hairy plants


Ivies - Globular flower heads in autumn on evergreen, shrubby climbers	Umbellifers - Masses of small flowers on spoke-like stalks	Eryngos - Tightly-packed balls of small flowers on spiky stems	Common Pennywort - Many small flowers in upright spikes above rounded, succulent leaves


Spurges - Shrub-like plants with lush leaves and large, rounded clusters of reddish-brown flowers and milky sap	Docks - Small, pendant flowers in branched flower spikes	Helleborines - Star-like flowers with an enlarged lower petal (labellum), massed on a vertical spike and usually in dense woodland	Orchids - A narrow, upright spike of small flowers, each flower with a hooded upper section and a hanging, lower lip or labellum

Woody Trees, Shrubs & Climbers


Travellers-joy - Flowers with four petal-like sepals on climbing or scrambling, woody stems	Hazels, birches and alders - Flowers in dangling 'lamb's tails' in winter or early spring	Bog-myrtle - Stiff, greenish-yellow flower clusters atop twiggy bushes; all parts of plant heavily scented; in wet areas	Common Beech - Small clusters of petalless flowers among newly-emerging leaves in spring; large trees


Southern-beeches - Petalless flowers in small, hanging clusters	Oaks - Flowers in spring, opening with the leaves, in greenish-yellow catkins	Sea-buckthorn - Tiny, brownish flowers hidden at the leaf bases, on woody, spiny bushes with stems covered in dense, silvery and brown scales	Spindles - Flowers in loose clusters on long stalks on greenish, angled stems of open, twiggy bushes


Vines & Creepers - Flowers in woody vines, in open clusters in the leaf axils	Hops - Small, hanging clusters of flowers in leaf axils of vigorous twining plants	Hops - Hanging clusters of flowers in leaf axils of vigorous twining plants	Currants - Small, hanging clusters of flowers in leaf axils of suckering, understorey shrubs


Poplars - Narrow, solitary 'catkins', usually high up on tall trees	Willows - Upright, yellow-green 'catkins'	Willows - Upright, grey-green 'catkins'	Ashes - Many-branched clusters of petalless flowers on bare branches before the leaves


Ivies - Globular flower heads in autumn on evergreen, shrubby climbers	Spurge-laurel - Yellowish-green flowers in bunches, part hidden beneath glossy, dark-green leaves; flowers in late winter/early spring	Plane trees - Spiky clusters of more or less petalless flowers, hanging from long, pendulous stalks on trees with flaky bark	Box family - Petalless flowers in tight clusters in the axils of opposite, evergreen leaves


Box family - Petalless flowers in tight clusters in the axils of opposite, evergreen leaves	Griselinias - Tiny flowers in small trusses in the axils of yellow-green, leathery, evergreen leaves	Zelkovas - Tiny flowers in small trusses or short catkins, opening just before the simple, toothed leaves	Tree-of-heaven - Tiny flowers in large, branched panicles on tall trees with pungent, pinnate leaves

Limes - Green-petalled flowers in loose clusters, hanging beneath a curved, leaf-like bract

Flora of East Anglia An Identification Guide

Plants with Green or Brown Flowers

Group List

Flora of East Anglia
An Identification Guide