Lesser celandine (Ranunculus ficaria) is a welcome sight in
the British countryside as it is one of the first wild flowers to bloom in the
spring, doing so from March to May. It carpets woodland floors with its golden
yellow display, alongside bluebells, and can also be seen in meadows and
gardens.
The lesser celandine grows to between 2 and 6 inches high
(6-15 centimetres). The leaves are dark green (sometimes with lighter markings)
and heart-shaped. The flowers grow singly on their stems, each comprising 8-12
petals and three green sepals. They close up in dull weather but open again
when the sun shines on them.
William Wordsworth was very fond of the lesser celandine and
wrote a poem about it, paying special attention to the behaviour noted above.
However, a mistake was made when his tomb in Grasmere churchyard was carved
because it features the related greater celandine, which does not open and
close in the way that Wordsworth noted.
The lesser celandine is known to have medicinal properties.
The 17th century herbalist Nicholas Culpeper claimed to have used it
to treat scrofula (a skin disease related to tuberculosis) with great success.
© John Welford
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