Family: Papaveraceae
Author: L.
Bibliography: Sp. Pl.: 505 (1753)
Year: 1753
Status: accepted
Rank: species
Genus: Chelidonium
Vegetable: Unknown
Observations: Macaronesia, Europe to W. Siberia, Medit. to N. Iran
Description
Celandine, scientifically known as Chelidonium majus, is a fascinating plant that belongs to the Papaveraceae family. Endemic to a broad region extending from Macaronesia and parts of Europe to Western Siberia, and from the Mediterranean all the way to Northern Iran, this perennial herb holds an eminent place in both nature and traditional medicine.
Chelidonium majus is easily identifiable by its vibrant yellow flowers, which typically bloom between late spring and early autumn. The plant can grow to a height of about 30 to 80 centimeters, and it features distinctly lobed, pinnate leaves that add a delicate charm to its hardy nature. One notable characteristic of the celandine is the orange latex it exudes when any part of the plant is broken. This latex has been historically significant, utilized in various traditional remedies, particularly for its purported efficacy in treating skin conditions like warts and eczema.
Traditionally, celandine has been celebrated in herbal medicine across its native range. The plant contains a variety of alkaloids, such as chelidonine, sanguinarine, and chelerythrine, which contribute to its medicinal properties. However, modern usage necessitates caution due to the potent nature of these compounds, which can be toxic if misused.
First described in 1753 by the renowned botanist Carl Linnaeus in his seminal work “Species Plantarum,” celandine has since been the subject of numerous botanical studies. It thrives in a variety of habitats, often found in shaded, moist areas such as woodlands, hedgerows, and riverbanks.
Beyond its medicinal uses, celandine holds ecological value as well. It serves as a food source for certain species of insects, playing a role in maintaining the delicate balance within its native ecosystems. Whether one is a botanist drawn to its scientific intrigue or a herbalist searching for natural remedies, celandine stands as a remarkable example of nature’s multifaceted offerings.
Common Names
Eng: celandine, great celandine, greater celandine, nipplewort, swallowwort, rock poppy
Deu: gewöhnliches schöllkraut, schöllkraut
Dan: svaleurt
Spa: verruguera
Fra: grande chélidoine, chélidoine, chélidoine herbe-aux-verrues, chélidoine majeure, grande éclaire, herbe aux verrues, éclaire
Swe: keltamo, skelört
Fin: keltamo
Nld: stinkende gouwe
Nob: svaleurt
Nno: svaleurt
Ces: vlaštovi
Cym: dilwydd, dilwydd felen, llygadlym, llygadlys, llym y llygad, llys y wennol, llysiau’r clefyd melyn, llysiau’r llew, llysiau’r llygad, llysiau’r wennol, melynllys, selidon, sudd y defaid
En: Celandine, Greater celandine, Great celandine, Swallowwort, Nipplewort, Rock poppy, Garden Celandine, Swallow-wort, Tetterwort
Sq: Latrapeci
Ar: العروق الصفر, بقلة الخطاطيف, عروق الصباغين
Hy: Կանթեղախոտ
Az: Dəmrovotu
Ba: Сөйәл үләне
Eu: Enara-belar, Zaran-belar
Be: Падтыннік вялікі
Br: Louzaouenn-ar-plac’h-koant
Bg: Змийско мляко
Ca: Berruguera, Celidònia, Herba berruguera, Herba d’orenetes
Zh: Bai qu cai, 白屈莱属, 白屈菜
Kw: Gwenolles
Hr: Rosopas
Cs: Vlaštovičník větší, Vlaštovičník, Vlaštovi
Da: Svaleurt
Nl: Stinkende gouwe
Eo: Kelidonio
Et: Chelidonium maius, Harilik vereurmarohi, Vereurmarohi
Fi: Keltamo
Fr: Chelidoine, Chélidoine, Grande chélidoine, Herbe aux verrues, Herbe à verrues, Kélidoine, Quélidoine, Verrucaire, Chélidoine herbe-aux-verrues, Chélidoine majeure, Grande éclaire, Éclaire, Félongène, Felougne, Herbe aux boucs, Herbe de l’hirondelle, Herbe de sainte Claire, Sologne, Herbe à la verrue
Gl: Celidonia
Ka: Ქრისტესისხლა
De: Schöllkraut, Schellkraut, Gewöhnliches Schöllkraut, Gemeines Schöllkraut
El: Χελιδόνιον
Hu: Vérehulló fecskefű
Ga: Garra bhuí
It: Celidonia, Erba dei porri, Cenerognola, Erba da porri, Erba delle rondini, Erba di Santa Chiara
Kk: Үлкен сүйелшөп
Ko: 애기똥풀, 애기똥풀속, 젖풀
Lv: Kārpu zāle, Lielā strutene, Vandulis
Li: Zwalgekroed
Lt: Didžioji ugniažolė
Mk: Змиско млеко, Руса
No: Svaleurt
Nb: Svaleurt
Nn: Svaleurt
Os: Чъехаг сырхыхос
Fa: مامیران بزرگ
Pl: Glistnik, Jaskółcze ziele, Glistnik jaskółcze ziele, Glistnik jaskółczy
Pt: Celidónia, Erva-andorinha, Erva-das-verrugas, Seruda, Quelidónia-maior
Ro: Rostopasca, Rostopască
Ru: Čistotel bol’šoj, Подтынник, Чистотел большой
Sr: Росопас, Руса
Sk: Lastovičník väčší
Es: Krvavi mlečnik, Cedueña, Celdueña, Celedonia, Celedonio, Celidonia mayor, Celidonia, Celidoña, Celidueña fina, Celidueña, Cerdoña, Cerdueña, Ceredonia, Ceredueña, Ceridonia, Ceridoña, Ceridueña, Cerigüeña, Ceruda, Cevuda, Chiledonia, Ciledonia, Cilidonia, Cilidueña, Cirgüeña, Ciridueña, Cirigüeya, Cirigüeña, Cirirueña, Dilidonia, Flor de la golondrina, Golondrinera, Gran luz, Hierba de la golondrina, Hierba de las golondrinas, Hierba de las verrugas, Hierba del iodo, Hierba golondrinera, Hierba verruguera, Hirundinaria, Pedigüeña, Piohuelo, Planta del yodo, Quitaverrugas, Selidonia, Verrugera, Verruguera, Yerba de las golondrinas, Yerba del pordiosero, Yerba verruguera, Yeteira, Flor de verrugas
Sv: Skelört, Keltamo
Zh-tw: 白屈萊屬
Zh-hant: 白屈萊屬
Tr: Kırlangıç otu, Temre otu
Uk: Чистотіл великий, Чистотіл звичайний, Чистотіл
Cy: Llysiau‘r wennol, Dilwydd, Dilwydd Felen, Llygadlym, Llygadlys, Llym y Llygad, Llys y Wennol, Llysiau’r Clefyd Melyn, Llysiau’r Llew, Llysiau’r Llygad, Llysiau’r Wennol, Melynllys, Selidon, Sudd y Defaid
Synonyms
Distribution
- Albania (native)
- Algeria (native)
- Altay (native)
- Amur (native)
- Austria (native)
- Azores (native)
- Baleares (native)
- Baltic States (native)
- Belarus (native)
- Belgium (native)
- Bulgaria (native)
- Buryatiya (native)
- Canary Is. (native)
- Central European Rus (native)
- China North-Central (native)
- China South-Central (native)
- China Southeast (native)
- Chita (native)
- Corse (native)
- Czechoslovakia (native)
- Denmark (native)
- East European Russia (native)
- Finland (native)
- France (native)
- Germany (native)
- Greece (native)
- Hungary (native)
- Iran (native)
- Irkutsk (native)
- Italy (native)
- Kazakhstan (native)
- Khabarovsk (native)
- Kirgizstan (native)
- Korea (native)
- Krasnoyarsk (native)
- Krym (native)
- Madeira (native)
- Manchuria (native)
- Mongolia (native)
- Morocco (native)
- Netherlands (native)
- North Caucasus (native)
- North European Russi (native)
- Northwest European R (native)
- Norway (native)
- Poland (native)
- Portugal (native)
- Primorye (native)
- Qinghai (native)
- Romania (native)
- Sardegna (native)
- South European Russi (native)
- Spain (native)
- Sweden (native)
- Switzerland (native)
- Transcaucasus (native)
- Turkey (native)
- Turkey-in-Europe (native)
- Tuva (native)
- Ukraine (native)
- West Siberia (native)
- Yakutskiya (native)
- Yugoslavia (native)
- Argentina Northeast (introduced)
- Argentina Northwest (introduced)
- Argentina South (introduced)
- Brazil South (introduced)
- British Columbia (introduced)
- Colorado (introduced)
- Connecticut (introduced)
- Delaware (introduced)
- Great Britain (introduced)
- Illinois (introduced)
- Indiana (introduced)
- Iowa (introduced)
- Ireland (introduced)
- Kentucky (introduced)
- Maine (introduced)
- Maryland (introduced)
- Masachusettes (introduced)
- Michigan (introduced)
- Minnesota (introduced)
- Missouri (introduced)
- Montana (introduced)
- New Brunswick (introduced)
- New Hampshire (introduced)
- New Jersey (introduced)
- New York (introduced)
- New Zealand North (introduced)
- New Zealand South (introduced)
- North Carolina (introduced)
- Nova Scotia (introduced)
- Ohio (introduced)
- Ontario (introduced)
- Pennsylvania (introduced)
- Peru (introduced)
- Prince Edward I. (introduced)
- Québec (introduced)
- Rhode I. (introduced)
- Utah (introduced)
- Vermont (introduced)
- Virginia (introduced)
- Washington (introduced)
- West Virginia (introduced)
- Wisconsin (introduced)
Additional Images
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Leaf
Taken Apr 21, 2018 by Marcos Rivas Campoamor (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 22, 2019 by Manu Pacha (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 3, 2019 by Dieter Wagner (cc-by-sa)
Taken Sep 30, 2021 by Steven Baumöhl (cc-by-sa)
Taken May 22, 2017 by jacques chabor (cc-by-sa)
Habit
Taken May 10, 2021 by Alain Bigou (cc-by-sa)
Taken Mar 31, 2022 by M G (cc-by-sa)
Taken Dec 21, 2021 by Tristan Jaton-Maria (cc-by-sa)
Taken Sep 1, 2022 by David Hocken (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 19, 2018 by Lluís Palacín (cc-by-sa)
Flower
Taken Mar 1, 2019 by Manu Pacha (cc-by-sa)
Taken Mar 24, 2019 by Manu Pacha (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 1, 2018 by Elisabeth Razouk (cc-by-sa)
Taken Mar 29, 2017 by Pep Secem (cc-by-sa)
Taken Mar 1, 2019 by Manu Pacha (cc-by-sa)
Other
Taken Aug 10, 2022 by Andrzej Konstantynowicz (cc-by-sa)
Taken Mar 24, 2020 by Marie-Claude Deboin (cc-by-sa)
Taken Mar 31, 2022 by Llandrich anna (cc-by-sa)
Taken Mar 31, 2022 by Llandrich anna (cc-by-sa)
Taken Mar 31, 2022 by Llandrich anna (cc-by-sa)
Fruit
Taken Nov 29, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
Taken May 29, 2017 by Jordan Galli (cc-by-sa)
Taken Apr 17, 2017 by 1 (cc-by-sa)
Taken Apr 24, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 7, 2017 by Tela Botanica − Hélène MUHLHOFF (cc-by-sa)
Bark
Taken Apr 2, 2022 by Tristan Jaton-Maria (cc-by-sa)
Taken Mar 16, 2022 by Gaël Covain (cc-by-sa)
Taken Mar 9, 2019 by melen (cc-by-sa)
Taken Mar 21, 2022 by Gaël Covain (cc-by-sa)
Taken Apr 10, 2021 by Marie-Pierre Ortner (cc-by-sa)
Sources
- WFO (No URL)
- IPNI (No URL)
- GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/5334186)
- POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:303589-2)
- PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Chelidonium majus L.)