Description: This native perennial plant is 1–1½' tall, consisting of basal leaves and a stem that terminates in a small cluster of flowers. This stem is conspicuously hairy and has a pair of opposite leaves. The leaves are up to 6" long and 2½" across. They are double pinnatifid; there are 2-3 pairs of primary lobes along the length of each leaf, while shallow secondary lobes occur along the length of each primary lobe. There are scattered short hairs across the upper surface of each leaf, although they are hard to see.
The petioles of the leaves are rather
long and conspicuously hairy. There is little difference in the appearance of
the basal and cauline leaves, although the latter tend to have shorter
petioles. The foliage contains a yellow sap. The upper stem terminates in a
single flower or a floppy umbel of 2-4 flowers. Each flower is 1-2" across,
consisting of 4 bright yellow petals, 2 deciduous sepals, numerous stamens with
yellow anthers, and a single pistil with a knobby stigma. The blooming period
occurs from mid- to late spring and lasts about 2-3 weeks. After the petals
fall off, the pistil matures into an ovoid seed capsule about 1" long. This
seed capsule is densely hairy and divides into 4 segments. Numerous seeds are
released after the seed capsule splits apart. The root system produces
rhizomes, which enables this plant to form vegetative colonies.
Cultivation: The Celandine Poppy should be grown in
dappled sunlight underneath a tree, or along the foundation of a building in
partial shade. It adapts best to rich loamy soil and moist to mesic conditions.
Vegetative growth occurs during the spring before the trees fully leaf
out.
Range & Habitat: The
Celandine Poppy is an uncommon plant that occurs primarily in southern
Illinois; it has also been observed in Vermillion and Cook counties further to
the north. Habitats include mesic deciduous woodlands, including the bottom of
ravines and the base of bluffs. This species is found in high quality
woodlands; it is one of the woodland wildflowers that is threatened by the
invasion of Alliaria petiolata (Garlic Mustard).
Faunal Associations: Little is known about
floral-fauna relations for this species. The flowers are probably pollinated by
bees and possibly other insects. The seeds are distributed by ants, which are
attracted to their fleshy appendages (elaisomes). The foliage is toxic and
avoided by mammalian herbivores.
Photographic
Location: A flower garden in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments:
This attractive spring-blooming wildflower adapts well to gardens. It resembles
another member of the Poppy family, Chelidonium majus (Celandine), but
the latter has yellow flowers that are smaller (¾" across or less) and
its seed capsules are hairless, linear and erect. Celandine is a somewhat weedy
species that was introduced from Europe; it is a biennial that blooms during
the summer. Other members of the Poppy family have flowers that are white,
pink, orange, or purplish red. Another common name that is often applied to
Stylophorum diphyllum is the Wood Poppy.