Ranunculus ficaria - Lesser celandine, perennial wild flower
Lesser celandine (Ranunculus ficaria, syn. Ficaria grandiflora Robert, Ficaria verna Huds.) is a low-growing, hairless perennial flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. It has fleshy dark green, heart-shaped leaves and distinctive flowers with bright yellow, glossy petals. The plant is found throughout Europe and west Asia and is now introduced in North America, where it is often considered invasive. It prefers bare, damp ground and in the UK it can be seen as a common garden plant, an early harbinger of Spring. The plant used to be known as Pilewort because it was used to treat hemorrhoids. Supposedly, the knobbly tubers of the plant resemble piles, and according to the doctrine of signatures this resemblance suggests that pilewort could be used to cure piles. The German vernacular Skorbutkraut ("Scurvyherb") derives from the use of the early leaves, which are high in vitamin C, to prevent scurvy. The plant is widely used in Russia and is sold in most pharmacies as a dried herb.
Size: 5472px × 3648px
Location: United Kingdom
Photo credit: © Simon Haggett / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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