Ficaria verna
Species of flowering plant in the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ficaria verna (formerly Ranunculus ficaria L.), commonly known as lesser celandine or pilewort,[3] 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.[4][5] Native to Europe and Western Asia, it is now introduced in North America, where it is known by the common name fig buttercup and considered an invasive species.[6][7][8][9] The plant is poisonous if ingested raw and potentially fatal to grazing animals and livestock such as horses, cattle, and sheep.[10] For these reasons, several US states have banned the plant or listed it as a noxious weed.[7][11] It prefers bare, damp ground and is considered by horticulturalists in the United Kingdom as a persistent garden weed;[12][13] nevertheless, many specialist plantsmen, nursery owners and discerning gardeners in the UK and Europe collect selected cultivars of the plant, including bronze-leaved and double-flowered ones. Emerging in late winter with flowers appearing late February through May in the UK, its appearance across the landscape is regarded by many as a harbinger of spring.[12]
Lesser celandine | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Order: | Ranunculales |
Family: | Ranunculaceae |
Genus: | Ficaria |
Species: | F. verna |
Binomial name | |
Ficaria verna | |
Synonyms[1] | |
Synonyms
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