CELANDINE
Pronounced "Selandine".
There are two species of CELANDINE, but these are not related! At least not closely. As they are both yellow and both can be found locally and commonly simply referred to by that name, they are both included in this section.
The greater celandine is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant in the poppy family Papaveraceae. One of two species in the genus Chelidonium, it is native to Europe and western Asia and introduced widely in North America.
The plant with which it is sometimes confused the lesser celandine is not closely related, as it belongs to the buttercup family Ranunculaceae.
GREATER CELANDINE: Chelidonium majus
Greater celandine is a popular plant in gardens although some consider it a weed. It also spreads easily on waste ground and in hedges. The small yellow flowers are broader than those of the lesser celandine and the plant stands more erect. They can appear like yellow poppies. They are also a good source of nectar for insects.
Some people describe its flowers as custard-yellow similar to those of a buttercup although it can be quite bright.
This species is found in most regions of Europe as well as parts of North Africa and Western Asia.
LESSER CELANDINE : Ficaria verna
Many of the first flowers to appear in spring are bright yellow. The Lesser Celandine is typical. Its star-shaped flowers can be found along paths, sometimes in amongst the grass and other low yellow flowers such as dandelions. It is a low ground hugging plant which provides an important nectar source for queen bumblebees and other pollinators emerging from hibernation, and other early insects. It loves damp woodland paths and tracks, as well as stream banks and ditches. You can also spot it growing in gardens, meadows and shady hedgerows. They flower between January and April.
Picture taken at Loch Lomond.
March. Geilston Gardens.
Compare with Marsh Marigold / King's Cup - index.asp?pageid=731886
WIKIPEDIA : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelidonium_majus & https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ficaria_verna
