Lesser Celadine

In Wordsworth’s day Lesser Celandine was considered a type of Buttercup with a scientific name of Ranunculus ficaria. Botanists have now found there are several types of Lesser Celandine and have moved them to a family of their own called Ficaria. In our area we have two of the Ficarias: one which reproduces mostly by seeds, and one which reproduces mostly by producing small bulbils which drop off the plant to form new plants, and this is the form we have along the brook - scientifically called Ficaria verna.

For a plant growing beside a flowing brook this is a great strategy for spreading itself. The bulbils are washed away and take root along the water line along the length of the brook wherever they become embedded in the mud. If you had looked at one at the end of March when they were in full flower you wouldn’t have seen any bulbils, but now, mid April, after most of the flowers have finished, all the plants are producing their bulbils. They form in the leaf axils, and around the roots. See Image 1 below.

We do have the seed producing form in our area too – it’s called Ficaria fertilis (Image 2). It tends to inhabit dry patches of woodland, and can sometimes be recognised as having broader petals than verna and leaves with a wavy edge. Generally populations of these two subspecies do not mix. In each area it’s all one or the other. This delay in the plant revealing its identity is very annoying for botanists as having seen the flowers a return visit is needed the next month to identify it. But one can’t tire of seeing these glorious small plants signalling that spring is well on the way.