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Common Name: Greater Celandine

General Information

Chelidonium majus is a perennial plant that can grow up to 0.50 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

The whole plant is poisonous[, , ]. It is of very low toxicity and this is greatly reduced by drying the plant[]. The stem juice is highly irritating and allergenic, it may cause paralysis[]. Large doses cause sleepiness, skin irritation, respiratory tract irritation, violent coughing and dyspnoea[]. It also stains the urine bright yellow and may cause ulcers[].

Botanical References

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Range

Most of Europe, including Britain, east to N. Asia.

Habitat

Rubble, damp ground, banks, hedgerows and by walls[, ], nearly always close to human habitations[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.50 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Bees, Flies, Beetles, Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in any soil other than boggy conditions[, , ]. Prefers a rich soil of a woodland nature[, ]. Shade tolerant[]. Plants grow well on walls if they are given a semi-shaded position and a pocket of soil into which to root[].
A short-lived perennial[], but it self-sows freely and can easily become a weed[]. It quickly colonizes waste ground and thin woodland areas[]. Once established, the plant is very difficult to eradicate.

Edible Uses

Leaves - cooked in small quantities[]. They contain small amounts of toxic alkaloids[]. The leaves are boiled with clean earth, the mixture is left overnight and then thoroughly washed in several changes of water[]. Very much a famine food, to be used when all else fails!![].

Medicinal

Greater celandine has a long history of herbal use[]. Traditionally it was employed as an ophthalmic to treat and clear the eyesight whilst in modern herbal medicine it is used more as a mild sedative, antispasmodic and detoxifying herb, relaxing the muscles of the bronchial tubes, intestines and other organs[]. The latex is much used externally to treat warts. Caution should be employed, especially when the plant is used internally however, because it contains toxic alkaloids[, ].
The leaves and the sap are acrid, alterative, anodyne, antispasmodic, caustic, cholagogue, diaphoretic, diuretic, hydrogogue, narcotic, purgative[, , , , , , ]. They are used in the treatment of bronchitis, whooping cough, asthma, jaundice, gallstones and gallbladder pains[]. The plant is harvested in the spring as it comes into flower, it is best used fresh[], but can also be dried for later use[]. The roots can also be used, these are harvested in the autumn and dried for later use[].
The plant has anticancer properties and is analgesic[, ]. It is an important component of a stomach ulcer drug[].
The plant has an abundant acrid bright-orange sap that stains the skin strongly and is powerfully irritant[]. It is used as an external treatment to get rid of warts, ringworm and corns[, , , ] and has also been used to remove films from the cornea of the eye[].
The plant contains the alkaloid chelidonine, which is similar to the alkaloid papaverine found in poppies. This alkaloid has antispasmodic and sedative effects on the bile ducts and bronchi. However, results have been inconsistent, especially if the preparation is not fresh[].
The plant also contains the alkaloid sparteine, which restores normal rhythm to feeble arrhythmic myocardia[].

Other Uses

Plants rapidly form a ground cover, but should only be used in wild places because of their invasive nature[].
Seed contains 50 - 66% of a fatty oil[]. No more details given.

Propagation

Seed - sow in situ late winter to May or August to late autumn. Germination usually takes place within 1 - 12 months[, ]. The plant self-sows freely and should not need much encouragement.
Division in early spring[]. The plant bleeds profusely so this method is not recommended[].