Ranunculus ficaria (Lesser celandine)

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Ranunculus ficaria L.

Lesser celandine, fig buttercup, pilewort, small celandine, lesser crowfoot, dusky maiden

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Magnoliidae	Includes magnolias, nutmeg, bay laurel, cinnamon, avocado, black pepper, and many others
Order	Ranunculales	Basal (evolved earlier) eudicots, also called “true dicots”
Family	Ranunculaceae	Buttercup family
Genus	Ranunculus	From Latin rana, “little frog,” because many species grow in moist places
Species	ficaria	From Latin rana, “little frog,” because these tend to grow in moist places

About plant names...

Lesser celandine is native to Europe and western Asia. Introduced to North America, it has become naturalized here. It prefers damp shady areas, and weedy places. It often carpets large areas. In many regions it is considered an invasive for its tendency to displace other vegetation, or because it poisons livestock.

Plants: Low-growing, 4-14" (10-35 cm) in height. It is a perennial that stores energy in numerous white finger-like tubers.

Leaves: Leaves are thick, heart-shaped (cordate), spirally arranged, ¾-1½" (1.9-3.8 cm), on long stems (petioles). Leaves are sometimes mottled with darker green patches.

Flowers: Flowers are up to 1" (2.5 cm) around, with 7-12 glossy yellow petal-like tepals, and 3 sepal-like tepals (confused yet?). They appear as early as February, or, further north, from April-May.

Fruits: Achenes are spherical, up to ⅜" (1.3 cm) around.

Sometimes these are confused:

4/8/2012 · North Central Railroad Trail, Monkton Rd, Sparks, Maryland
≈ 19 × 13" (48 × 33 cm)

4/4/2011 · Oregon Ridge State Park, Timonium, Maryland
≈ 21 × 14" (52 × 34 cm)

4/6/2012 · North Central Railroad Trail, Sparks, Maryland
≈ 5 × 3½" (13 × 9.2 cm)

	*Stylophorum diphyllum*	You are here Ranunculus ficaria	*Chelidonium majus*
Common Name	yellow wood poppy	lesser celandine	greater celandine
Plant	Plants reach 12-18" (30-45 cm). Stems and leaves exude a bright yellow-orange sap when cut.	Low-growing, 4-14" (10-35 cm) in height. It is a perennial that stores energy in numerous white finger-like tubers.	Greater celandine reaches 18-24" (45-60 cm) in height, with ribbed stems. Leaves contain an irritating yellow-orange sap.
Flowers	Each flower has four partially overlapping yellow petals, two sepals (which fall away early after flowering), a knobby stigma, and multiple yellow-orange stamens. They appear in groups of one to four, and are 1¼-2" (3.2-5.7 cm) around. Flowers May-June.	Up to 1" (2.5 cm) around, with 7-12 glossy yellow petal-like tepals, and 3 sepal-like tepals (confused yet?). They appear as early as February, or, further north, from April-May.	About ¾" (1.9 cm) around, with four yellow *non-overlapping* petals, a stiff green central style, and multiple yellow stamens.
Leaves	This plant has basal leaves, as well as a pair of opposite leaves on the stem, both up to 6" (15 cm) × 4" (10 cm). Leaves are divided into 3-5 lobes which in turn are further divided, making them bipinnatifid. Leaf surfaces are dark green and hairless, while leaf undersides are pale as a result of fine hairs. Leaf stems (petioles) are up to 4" (10 cm) long.	Thick, heart-shaped (cordate), spirally arranged, ¾-1½" (1.9-3.8 cm), on long stems (petioles). Leaves are sometimes mottled with darker green patches.	Up to 8" (20 cm) long and 3" (7.6 cm) wide, compound in groups of 5 to 9, green with a slight bluish tint.
Fruit	Bristly blue-green ovoid seed pods ¾-1" (1.9-2.5 cm).	Achenes are spherical, up to ⅜" (1.3 cm) around.	Seed capsules look like thin beans, ¾-2½" (1.9-6.3 cm) long, with black seeds.
Range/ Zones	USDA Zones: 4-9		USDA Zones: 4-8
Habitats	Dry deciduous woodlands, bases of bluffs, and rocky stream banks.	It prefers damp shady areas, and weedy places. It often carpets large areas.	Moist or dry woods, thickets, fields, hedgerows, roadsides, railroads
Type	Wild	Wild	Wild
Occurrence			Common