Plant Indices
- Alphabetical Index (Genera)
- Alphabetical Index (Vernacular)
- Cladistic Index
CELANDINE (Chelidonium)
Family: Papaveraceae
Species: Chelidonium majus
 |
| Greater Celandine, Oct. 2008. Own work--Alvegaspar. |
Names:
- Celandine
- Aallinkukka [Finnish]
- Aaronisappe [Norwegian]
- Aizagi [Basque]
- Apynys [Lithuanian]
- Aranyhaj [Hungarian]
- Areakibei [Basque]
- Asklönn [Swedish]
- Bermeja [Spanish]
- Berrugate [Spanish]
- Bläddra [Swedish]
- Blodsprängd [Swedish]
- Böldört Fecskefű [Hungarian]
- Celandina [Italian/Portuguese]
- Celedonia [Spanish]
- Celidonia [Catalan/Galician/Italian/Portuguese/Spanish]
- Celidonia Mayor [Spanish]
- Cenidonia [Romanian]
- Chabada [Breton]
- Chélidoine [French]
- Chöli-Chrut [Swiss German]
- Ciridueña [Asturian]
- Common Celandine
- Cua De Guilla [Catalan]
- Čuvarkuća [Croatian]
- Dikaruoho [Finnish]
- Dikaya Ryzhukha [Russian]
- Djavelbit [Norwegian]
- Djävulsöga [Swedish]
- Engelevyrt [Norwegian]
- Erva-Andorinha [Portuguese]
- Fecskefű [Hungarian]
- Fecsketárnics [Hungarian]
- Geldkraut [German]
- Glaucio [Italian]
- Glistnik [Polish]
- Goldwurz [German]
- Gölovrot [Russian]
- Gonda [Hungarian]
- Goutte D'or [French]
- Grande Chélidoine [French]
- Grande Eclaire [French]
- Greater Celandine
- Grintwurz [German]
- Großes Schöllkraut [German]
- Gryziel [Polish]
- Guovzza-Rasse [Northern Sami]
- Herba Da Anduriña [Galician]
- Herba De Berrugues [Catalan]
- Herbe À L'hirondelle [French]
- Hierba De Las Golondrinas [Spanish]
- Hierba Verruguera [Spanish]
- Jaskółcze Ziele [Polish]
- Keltajuuri [Finnish]
- Keltamo [Finnish]
- Keltasavikka [Finnish]
- Keltavaleunikko [Finnish]
- Kırlangiçotu [Turkish]
- Kirmizija [Albanian]
- Kregdurt [Frisian]
- Kruenta [Latvian]
- Kruidje-roer-me-niet [Dutch]
- Kruzhevnitsa [Russian]
- Krvavnik [Slovenian]
- Lastovicnik [Czech]
- Lastovičník [Slovak]
- Lastovičník Väčší [Slovak]
- Leddri [Norwegian]
- Lleterola [Catalan]
- Madarakbere [Hungarian]
- Meconopsis [French]
- Medya [Turkish]
- Mežsaratene [Latvian]
- Molke [Norwegian]
- Nagelkruid [Dutch]
- Nattergift [Norwegian]
- Odenurt [Danish]
- Öfverfallsrot [Swedish]
- Pääskysen Yrtti [Finnish]
- Papavero Cornuto [Italian]
- Petite Eclaire [French]
- Pióropusznik [Polish]
- Pipirig [Catalan]
- Plevulja [Serbian]
- Ragnös [Swedish]
- Réformfű [Hungarian]
- Rostopasca [Romanian]
- Rostopaşte [Romanian]
- Ryngel [Norwegian]
- Schellkraut [German]
- Schöllkraut [German]
- Scukuriz [Lingua Ignota]
- Selidonio [Esperanto]
- Signesa [Galician]
- Skjørbuksurt [Norwegian]
- Skælrod [Danish]
- Skelört [Danish/Swedish]
- Skelurt [Norwegian]
- Skjørbuksurt [Norwegian]
- Skvalerhavre [Norwegian]
- Stinking Root
- Stinkende Gouwe [Dutch]
- Storkenebburt [Norwegian]
- Svaleurt [Danish/Norwegian]
- Svalört [Swedish]
- Svölufræði [Icelandic]
- Swallow Wort
- Tetterwort
- Throatwort
- Ugraslilje [Norwegian]
- Ugrasløvetann [Norwegian]
- Ukrudt-Valmue [Danish]
- Valkopähkämö [Finnish]
- Valnjaća [Serbian]
- Verrucaria [Italian]
- Vrtna Rosopas [Slovenian]
- Vrtni Mleček [Slovenian]
- Vlaštovičník [Czech]
- Vlaštovičník Větší [Czech]
- Waldschellkraut [German]
- Wartwort
- Warzownik [Polish]
- Yellow Spit
- Zwaluwenkruid [Dutch]
Distribution:
- Africa, Northern: Algeria, Morocco
- Asia, Central: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tibet
- Asia, East: China (North-Central China, South-Central China, Southeast China, Manchuria, Qinghai), Korea
- Asia, Northern: Russia (Altay, Amur, Buryatiya, Central European Russia, Chita, East European Russia, Irkutsk, Khabarovsk, Krasnoyarsk, North Caucasus, North European Russia, Northwest European Russia, Primorye, South European Russia, Tuva, West Siberia, Yakutskiya)
- Asia, Western: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Turkey
- Europe, Central: Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland
- Europe, Eastern: Belarus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine (including Krym)
- Europe, Northern: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden
- Europe, Southern: Albania, Greece, Italy (including Sardinia), North Macedonia, Portugal (including Azores, Madeira), Serbia, Slovenia, Spain (including Balearic Islands, Canary Islands)
- Europe, Western: Belgium, France (including Corsica), Netherlands
Physical Description
A flowering perennial herb from the poppy
family known for their yellow flowers. They are erect in habit and grow from 30-120cm (12-47in) in height. The plant exudes an orange or yellow latex
when injured.
The flowers are bright yellow and consist of four petals, which occur in umbels of typically four flowers. The flowers are about 2xm across and occasionally occur in doubles. They flower from late spring into summer, May to September. The seeds are dispersed by ants.
Symbolism
Victorian Flower Language
Per Greenaway, under the name "swallow wort," the celandine means "cure for a
heartache." Under "throatwort" it references "beauty neglected." These are the
same plant, though a distinction may have been obvious in its time based on
color or some quirk of cultivation.
In any case, these meanings appear to be different sides of the same sentiment, as in, "Your beauty (physical or character) is neglected, so I hope you take this recognition as a balm for your broken heart."
Medical
We are not a medical website, do not take health advice from us.
The plant has a long history as a medicinal, with the plant above-ground harvested when flowering and dried, and the root harvested in autumn between August and October and used fresh or dried. Hot and bitter to taste, this medicinal is prepared by alcoholic extract or in tea.
Despite this tradition of use, the clinical trials produce results with a high degree of heterogeneity.
Anti-Inflammatory
Traditionally regarded as an anti-inflammatory, especially for inflammatory
skin issues.
Detox
Both Pliny the Elder and Dioscorides
convey that by the 1st century AD that celandine had long been used as a
detoxifying herb. It is still used by modern herbalists in this capacity.
Hepatic
Used to treat liver issues due to a
sympathetic resemblance between the plant’s latex and bile. Its alkaloids
would most likely have only exacerbated the problem.
UT Issues
Traditionally used in the treatment of
gallstones.
Teeth
The root was chewed to relieve
toothache.
Eyesight
John Gerard said in his 1597 Herball
that, "the juice of the herbe is good to sharpen the sight, for it cleanseth
and consumeth away slimie things that cleave about the ball of the eye and
hinder the sight and especially being boiled with honey in a brasen vessell."
Modern herbalist Juliette de Baïracli Levy continues this tradition by recommending dissolving celandine in milk and using it as an eyewash.
Cancer
Used in the production of a drug called
Ukrain, which promoted for use against cancer and viral infections (presumably
cancer-causing viruses like HPV), though there is little evidence of its
effectiveness.
GI Issues
Traditional treatment for GI distress.
Still used in German and Switzerland in the gastric remedy “Iberogast.” (This
drug is highly controversial.)
Skin Conditions
The orange/yellow latex is a
traditional French and English folk remedy for warts and inflammatory skin
conditions. The wart treatment is still recommended today by Juliette de
Baïracli Levy.
Foot Health
Traditional Gypsy/Romani foot refresher.
Poison
The whole plant is toxic, containing a
number of isoquinoline alkaloids; even if one believes the claims of its
effectiveness as an herbal medicine, dosage is still key. Can cause serious
liver issues.
Known to be explicitly poisonous to chickens.
 |
| Chelidonium majus, photographer unclear. From atlas.roslin.pl. |
Compiler Notes
- Connect to the lesser celandine (Genus [Ficaria])
- The use of the latex against warts might make it effective against hags.
- Alternately, the latex may be used to mask the true nature of the hag.
- Do something with this being used as a hepatic while also being the cause?
- The plant's supposed ability to clear issues of the eye makes it an effective reagent against blinding curses. This could be limited to literal blindness but might be extended to various malefic charms. This could include magically induced face-blindness or enchantments that manipulate the target's attention from things going on around them.
- There may be a relationship between its use as an eye treatment and the treatment of gallstones. Perhaps this could be escalated to clearing away earth that hides a doorway or cave?
- In the malefic, it can be used to kill chickens. Given that the chicken is of both domestic and solar significance (per hen and cockerel, respectively), the heights of this plant's insidiousness can be escalated easily.
Image Refs
[Img 01 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flower_October_2008-1.jpg ]
[Img 02 - https://atlas.roslin.pl/plant/8333 ]
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See Also:
- Plants
- Flowers
- Trees
- Ferns
- Moss and Lichen [Pending]
- Fungi [Pending]
- Cladistic Index
- Herbal Medicine [Pending]
- Resin, Incense, Balsam, and Lacquer [Pending]
- Lardizabalaceae
- Chocolate Vine
- Dead Man's Fingers
- Papaveraceae
- Bleeding Heart
- Celandine
- Fumitory
- Poppy
- Ranunculaceae
- Adonis/Anemone/Pasque
- Buttercup/Crowfoot
- Clematis
- Columbine
- Coptis
- Hellebore
- Hepatica
- Larkspur
- Love in a Mist
- Monkshood/Wolfsbane
* * * * * * *
-Greenaway, Kate. Language of Flowers. George Routleage and Sons.
-Higley, Sarah L. (2007). Hildegard of Bingen’s Unknown Language: An Edition, Translation, and Discussion. Palgrave Macmillan.
(
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelidonium
)
(
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelidonium_majus
)
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