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celandine
Scientific Name: Chelidonium majus var. plenum
Family: Papaveraceae
Category: Dicot
Growth: Forb/herb
Duration: Biennial
Other Names:
Lesser Celandine (Ranunculus ficaria)
Lesser celandine, also known as pilewort, smallwort, brighteye, or cheesecups, is a common early spring flower that brightens woodlands, hedgerows, graveyards, and parks throughout the UK with its vibrant yellow blooms. It is often one of the first spring greens to emerge.
Considerations for Pets
- The text mentions the plant has a bitter taste.
- Lesser celandine emerges early in spring.
Scientific Classification
- Scientific Name: Ranunculus ficaria
- Formerly: Ficaria verna
- Common Names: Lesser celandine, pilewort, smallwort, brighteye, cheesecups
- Family: Ranunculaceae (Buttercup family)
Distribution and Habitat
- Native to Britain.
- Common throughout the UK.
- Found in damp meadows, woods, lawns, hedgebanks, and beside streams and ditches.
- Prefers woods and shady places.
Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits
- Low-growing perennial.
- Hairless.
- Produces yellow flowers.
- Bulbils are present.
- The roots of lesser celandine resemble a bunch of grapes.
Quirky Facts
- Wordsworth wrote no less than three poems about lesser celandine, including "The Small Celandine" and "To the Same."
- Its Welsh name is Llygad Ebrill, meaning "April's Eye," though it can appear as early as the latter part of March.
Culinary Use
- Prior to flowering, lesser celandine leaves can be used in salads.
Further Resources
- Nature's Calendar offers a free fact sheet and a live map of lesser celandine first flowering.
- Garden Organic provides information on celandine.