Names and Myths

Chelidonium  Grk chelidon, a swallow that appears about the time of flowering, Pliny¹⁷

majus larger

Natural history / Folklore

Many legends surround this plant, if one carries a part of the plant, and the heart of a mole, then you will overcome your enemies and win lawsuits.⁵⁷

Eurasian native. Yellow juice used to treat warts. Its potent juice contains alkaloids, at least one of which is narcotic and quite toxic. The juice of the plant turns orange on exposure to air and can burn the skin.⁴¹

Culpeper suggested that when the juice was mixed with breast milk it “cleanseth them (the eyes) from films and cloudiness …”¹⁷  Its acid qualities have lead to its use as a treatment for skin diseases warts, ringworm, herpes and eczema.³⁵

Description

Bright yellow summer blooming flowers. Rarely found away from Human habitation for it likes both partial sun and shelter from the wind. A microhabitat provided by the sides of buildings and rock walls.⁵⁷