Chelidonium

Chelidonium 

(celandine), a genus of herbaceous plants of the family Papaveraceae. There is a single species, Chelidonium majus, a perennial with bright orange milky sap. The leaves are deeply pinnatifid, and the tetramerous flowers are gathered in umbels. The fruit is a pod-like capsule.

The plant grows in the subtropical and temperate climates of the northern hemisphere. It is widespread throughout the USSR except in the northern regions and in Middle Asia. The plant grows in damp ravines, in undergrowth, in timber-felling areas, and in deciduous forests. Most commonly it occurs as a weed in parks, gardens, pastures, and weed-infested areas. A poisonous plant, it contains chelidonine and other alkaloids. There have been cases of celandine poisonings of goats and hogs. The sap is used externally to eliminate warts and to treat ulcers, wounds, and certain skin diseases. Tinctures from the grass act as bile-expelling agents.

REFERENCE

Atlas lekarstvennykh rastenii SSSR. Moscow, 1962.