Ficaria verna ssp verna Huds.
(a lesser celandine)

Taxonomic hierarchy:
SubspeciesFicaria verna ssp verna (a lesser celandine)
SpeciesFicaria verna (Lesser Celandine)
GenusFicaria (lesser celandine)
FamilyRANUNCULACEAE (buttercups, crowfoots)
OrderRANUNCULALES (buttercups, poppies and barberries)
SubclassEU-DICOTS (dicotyledonous flowering plants)
ClassMAGNOLIOPSIDA (flowering plants)
PhylumTRACHEOPHYTA (vascular plants)
KingdomPLANTAE (plants)
DomainEukaryota (eukaryotes)
LifeBIOTA (living things)
Records of Ficaria verna ssp verna (a lesser celandine) :
1: Ficaria verna ssp verna (a lesser celandine)
27 May 2015 OSGR: SU00 50° 50’ N, 1° 60’ W Vice County: Dorset (VC 9) England
plant with bulbils . Photos: Starch granules in bulbils
Image 1: Starch granules - microscope low magnificationImage 2: Starch granules - microscope low magnification (2)Image 3: Starch granules - microscope low magnification (3)Image 4: Starch granules - stained with iodine - microscope low magnificationImage 5: Starch granules - weakly stained with iodine - microscope low magnification
2: Ficaria verna ssp verna (a lesser celandine)
28 Mar 2005 OSGR: SU56 51° 20’ N, 1° 10’ W Vice County: Berks (VC 22) England
Image 1: Mar 28: long-petalled form - flowers - close-upImage 2: May 18: bulbil in leaf axil - close-up - enlargedImage 3: May 18: bulbil in leaf axil - enlargedImage 4: May 18: bulbils in leaf axils - close-up - enlargedImage 5: May 18: bulbils in leaf axils - enlargedImage 6: May 18: pale shrivelled seedhead - highly enlargedImage 7: May 18: pale shrivelled seedhead - highly enlarged (2)Image 8: May 18: pale shrivelled seedhead - highly enlarged (3)
3: Ficaria verna ssp verna (a lesser celandine)
28 Mar 2005 OSGR: SU56 51° 20’ N, 1° 10’ W Vice County: Berks (VC 22) England
Image 1: Flower - old - close-upImage 2: Flower - young - close-upImage 3: Flower - close-up - enlarged
4: Ficaria verna ssp verna (a lesser celandine)
10 May 1998 OSGR: SU57 51° 30’ N, 1° 10’ W Vice County: Berks (VC 22) England
Image 1: Bulbil in leaf axilImage 2: Bulbil in leaf axil (2)Image 3: Bulbils in leaf axilImage 4: Bulbils in leaf axilsImage 5: Bulbils in leaf axils (2)Image 6: Large leaf

Ficaria verna ssp verna (a lesser celandine) may be included in identification literature listed under the following higher taxa:

NBNNBN (data.nbn.org.uk) has a distribution map for Ficaria verna ssp verna (a lesser celandine)
BioInfoBioInfo (www.bioinfo.org.uk) has 2 host/parasite/foodplant and/or other relationships for Ficaria verna ssp verna (a lesser celandine)

A common garden weed (the bulbils are particularly effective propagules!) although also found in wild places, especially where disturbed (eg river banks).

1. Bulbils, like small grains of wheat, in the leaf axils after flowering. (Very tiny pale bulbils are often visible while still in flower if a lower leaf is peeled back.)

2. Partial sterility: most pollen grains empty and few (≤6 per head) ripe fruits formed. (Beware of heads which have already shed achenes).

Leaves shallowly lobed.

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