''Stylophorum diphyllum'', commonly called the celandine poppy or wood poppy, is an

herbaceous plant Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition ...

in the poppy family (

Papaveraceae The Papaveraceae are an economically important family of about 42 genera and approximately 775 known species of flowering plants in the order Ranunculales, informally known as the poppy family. The family is cosmopolitan, occurring in temperat ...

). It is native to

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and th ...

, where it is found in the eastern

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

and

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

. Its typical natural habitat is moist forests over calcareous rock, particularly in ravines. It is occasionally cultivated for its bright yellow flowers. The common name is derived from greater celandine (''

Chelidonium majus ''Chelidonium majus'', the greater celandine, is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant in the poppy family Papaveraceae. One of two species in the genus ''Chelidonium'', it is native to Europe and western Asia and introduced widely in North Ame ...

''), a closely related European plant with similar flowers and leaves.

Description

''Stylophorum diphyllum'' is an herbaceous

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also widel ...

. It grows to about tall, from underground

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow ...

Leaves A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, st ...

are

pinnately Pinnation (also called pennation) is the arrangement of feather-like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis. Pinnation occurs in biological morphology, in crystals, such as some forms of ice or metal crystals, and in ...

cut and

lobed The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular o ...

. They grow from the base of the plant, and in a pair at the top of the flowering stems. Apart from its normal sap, ''Stylophorum diphyllum'' produces a yellow-orange

latex Latex is an emulsion (stable dispersion) of polymer microparticles in water. Latexes are found in nature, but synthetic latexes are common as well. In nature, latex is found as a milky fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants (angiosperms ...

that stains. In spring, the deep yellow flowers of the celandine poppy appear as a brilliant display on the forest floor. The

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanis ...

s have 4 yellow

petal Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corolla''. Petals are usuall ...

s, two soon-falling

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coine ...

s, many yellow-orange

stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the fila ...

s, and a single knobby stigma. They appear singly or in

umbel In botany, an umbel is an inflorescence that consists of a number of short flower stalks (called pedicels) that spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs. The word was coined in botanical usage in the 1590s, from Latin ''umbella'' "p ...

s of two to four flowers from early spring to early summer. The flowers issue from between a pair of leaves at the top of the flowering stems. They produce

pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by seed plants. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametop ...

, but no

nectar Nectar is a sugar-rich liquid produced by plants in glands called nectaries or nectarines, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to animal mutualist ...

. After fertilization, a bristly blue-green pod hangs below the leaves.

Seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiosper ...

s with white elaiosomes ripen in midsummer and the pod opens by four flaps. Stylophorum diphyllum 1.jpg, Flowerbud Stylophorum diphyllum durham.jpg, A blooming plant in North Carolina Stylophorum diphyllum (side view), 2020.jpg, A flower and its reproductive parts Celandine Poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum) - Flickr - Jay Sturner (1).jpg, A patch of blooming plants at the

Morton Arboretum The Morton Arboretum, in Lisle, Illinois, United States, is a public garden, and outdoor museum with a library, herbarium, and program in tree research including the Center for Tree Science. Its grounds, covering 1,700 acres (6.9 square kilometres ...

in Illinois Celandine Poppy Stylophorum diphyllum Leaf 2475px.jpg, Leaf and immature pods Stylophorum diphyllum pods.jpg, Pods closer to maturity, hanging below leaves Pods2.jpg, Maturing pods in a wild patch in Ellicott City, Maryland Stylophorum diphyllum-seed-in-pod.png, alt=Stylophorum diphyllum seed pod showing elaisomes attached to seed, Stylophorum diphyllum seed pod showing elaisomes attached to seed

Propagation

Propagation is done by seed or by dividing established clumps in spring. It grows best in moist, high-

humus In classical soil science, humus is the dark organic matter in soil that is formed by the decomposition of plant and animal matter. It is a kind of soil organic matter. It is rich in nutrients and retains moisture in the soil. Humus is the Lati ...

soil, and prefers to be in the shade. Division should be done early in the morning, preferably on a cloudy and mild day. Plants are relatively long lived and readily self-seed under garden conditions.

Conservation

''Stylophorum diphyllum'' is a conservative species, and is somewhat uncommon throughout its range. Forest clearance is responsible for the loss of some stands of this species. As the wood poppy requires semi-shaded conditions, even selective logging can have negative effects by creating large openings that allow too much sun to reach the forest floor. Due to its limited distribution in Canada, it is listed under Ontario's Endangered Species Act, 2007, which protects the species and its habitat. One Ontario population of the wood poppy is in a conservation area.

References

External links

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Bioimages
* {{Taxonbar, from=Q7629712 Papaveroideae Flora of the Northeastern United States Flora of Ontario Flora of the North-Central United States Flora of the Southeastern United States