Greater Celandine

The greater celandine is a distinctive plant with many interesting medicinal properties to offer. It should not be confused, however, with the lesser celandine which - despite their similar names - are not actually related. They are in fact quite different as the greater celandine is much taller and has 4-petalled flowers whereas the lesser celandine has anywhere from 8 to 12 petals per flower. Also, the lesser celandine is a member of the buttercup family, while the greater celandine is a member of the poppy family.

The greater celandine can be found across all of Europe, much of North America, western Asia, and regions of northern Africa. The common plant can often be found in sunny and dry areas, especially near buildings or previously disturbed ground. The greater celandine is typically harvested when in bloom, as the milky latex flows best during this time as well as being easier to identify.

(An lesser celandine plant showing key differences in plants)

Historical Uses

As with most natural medicines, the greater celandine has a rich history of historical uses. The greater celandine was used to heal the liver and bile in order to repair and prevent damage to the liver caused by hepatitis. The greater celandine is featured multiple times in the Balds Leech Book which was written in 10th century Anglo Saxon England (my uncle, @mudcat36, is currently researching in depth the Bald Leech Book. His posts go into great detail about the history of the book and are incredibly interesting to read.) The book reveals the uses of greater celandine as a treatment for eye irritations. It suggests mixing the "juice or blossoms of celandine" with honey and heating to create a treatment for "dimness of the eyes".

Current Medicinal Uses

If taken in careful quantites, the grater celandine is thought to provide many wonderful medicinal properties. There is research that suggests that a chemical found in the plant called chelidonin (which is, quite interstingly, not too distant from papaverene which is found in the opium poppy) targets the liver and bile duct to release excess bile into the digestive tract. The extra bile production helps increase the efficiency of breaking down food in the stomach, which is thought to ease symptoms of IBS and other stomach pains.

More well known, however, is the plant's reputation of fighting cancer. While there is not much significant evidence to prove this, a few studies have shown that the chemicals in the greater celandine could in fact slow or halt the progress of cancer. The plant is known to have many powerful antioxidants, which are said to help prevent cancer, not stop it. Nonetheless, it is a very intersting plant to consider.

(freshly cut greater celandine stem exuding milky latex)
Externally, the plant's latex is used commonly to help dissolve warts and soften corns. The latex is quite harmful if applied to anywhere else on the skin and will cause painfull rashes. This leads perfectly into my big WARNING. The greater celandine is in fact considered a toxic plant. In big or even medium quantities, the greater celandine can cause injury to health. Therefore, it would be unwise to take the plant in higher quantities than what is suggested below. Also, the historical use of applying to thee eye region to ease irritations is now infact not reccomended as it is proven to cause eye problems.

How to use

The greater celandine can be safely consumed in its dried state in a tea. simply taking 2 grams or so (a teaspoon or so I think) will be more than enough. The plant should be treated and consumed with care. If using externally to treat warts or corns, applying the latex (which will naturally seep out of the pant when cut) to the region once a day will soon give results.

Thank you very much for reading my post about the natural medicinal wonders of the greater celandine. This post was inspired by @mudcat36 who has been providing posting ideas about certain plants featured in the Balds Leech Book which he is currently covering in detail on his blog.

Photo credits
pixabay.com
eatweeds.com
Jewel of healing