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 Lesser
Celandine
3/24/08
Mark Burchick
Lesser Celandine
Ranunculus ficaria
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While
working in Washington, DC today, I
stopped off at a location on the Rock
Creek floodplain to look at a well known
amphibian breeding vernal pool in
preparation for research work
Wednesday at a spring pool complex in
Crofton near the confluence of the
Patuxent and Little Patuxent rivers and
a long-established heron rookery.
All of the following photos were taken
today, March 24, 2008.
Lesser Celandine, Ranunculus ficaria, is
an early spring blooming, herbaceous
member of the Buttercup Family,
Ranunculaceae. Its leaves
emerge in late winter (February) in
Maryland. The bright yellow
buttercup-like flowers contrast sharply
with the glossy green heart-shaped
leaves through March into April,
whereupon the entire plant dies back and
survives as underground tubers until the
following year. |
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Native
to Europe, it is said to have been
William Wordsworth's "favorite flower,"
and indeed, he wrote three poems
extolling the virtues of this tough
little harbinger of spring.
Historically, the plant was valued for
its medicinal properties. Nicholas
Culpeper (1616-1654) wrote of the
curative powers of this plant in
treating piles, hemorrhoids, boils,
warts, and tumors. Young leaves are
reported to have been used in treatment
of scurvy, as they are relatively high
in vitamin C, and were even often used
in salads. Older leaves were not used
for this purpose, as they contain the
toxin protoanemonine. When boiled with
white wine, sweetened with honey, and
taken before bed, the lesser celandine
was believed to induce pleasant dreams,
and was used as a "visionary herb" to
increase psychic abilities. It is
likely that for some of these same
qualities this garden plant recently
found its way to North America.
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Lesser celandine
is a low-growing
perennial herb
with shiny,
somewhat
lustrous dark
green leaves
that form a
rosette. Leaves
are kidney to
heart shaped
with smooth to
coarse toothed
edges. Each
rosette forms a
single bright
yellow flower
that is up to
one inch wide.
Seeds ripen
early and the
entire plant
dies back by
late spring, but
not before it
has developed
numerous tubers
in which it has
stored energy
for early growth
the next year.
Plants may
spread by seed,
or by unearthed
tubers that may
be moved around
by seasonal
flooding events.
Large colonies
of lesser
celandine can
cover acres of
forest floor.
They are easy
to spot in the
spring because
of the high
density of
bright yellow
flowers on the
bright green
carpet of
leaves.
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Lesser celandine
is typically
found in moist,
forested
floodplains, and
occasionally in
some drier
upland areas.
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This map shows
where lesser
celandine occurs
and considered
an invasive,
non-native
nuisance
species.
Maryland sits
right in the
middle of
ground-zero, the
epicenter of
this Asian
monster.
My brother who
lives in Indiana
thought this
plant was the
native marsh
marigold, a
similar, robust,
attractive
native wetland
plant that is
not common in
Maryland.
How I wish!
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Lesser celandine
is primarily a
threat to native
plants and
native plant
diversity in
lowland woods
and on
floodplains. It
out-competes
native plants
through its
extremely early
seasonal growth
and the
development of a
dense network of
roots and tubers
in the soil.
Over time it
forms extensive
carpets in
natural areas,
crowding out
native plants,
especially
native ephemeral
(short-lived)
wildflowers.
The survival
strategy of
native ephemeral
wildflowers is
to grow and
flower early in
the spring
before leaf-out
of the forest
canopy. By
doing so, these
plants receive
needed sunlight
and can take
advantage of
nutrients
released from
decaying
material over
the winter.
Lesser
celandine uses
the same
strategy, but
starts growing
earlier in the
season and is
far more
aggressive in
its use of
space.
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I found a patch
of native
bloodroot, at
peak flower and
growing along
with the
non-native
buttercup.
The photo also
shows an
emerging
cut-leaf
toothwort and
non-native
speedwell. |
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The little
purple flowers
are speedwell
that was growing
along with
henbit, two
weeds often
found in lawns
and other
disturbed sites. |
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Speedwell and
bloodroot along
with Japanese
honeysuckle (of
course another
nuisance
invasive). |
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Spring beauty
was beginning to
flower along
the warm side
slopes of the
floodplain. |
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Fighting for
space on the
floodplain
carpet of
celandine,
Virginia
bluebells emerge
from the moist
soil and should
be at peak in
about two weeks
from now, rising
well above the
celandine.
I wanted to make
sure to end this
e-mail on a
positive note. |
Mark
Burchick
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