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Skaneateles Conservation Area/Invasive species/Ficaria verna

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Ficaria verna infestation at Baltimore Woods

Ficaria verna (lesser celandine)

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Lesser celandine (Ficaria verna) is a Eurasian groundcover that is considered to be invasive where it occurs in forested floodplains in North America.[1] Its sale is now prohibited in New York State.

There have been no known observations of Ficaria verna at the Skaneateles Conservation Area (SCA), but there is a good-sized infestation at nearby Baltimore Woods Nature Center, near the Mildred Faust Wildflower Garden, where it was likely either planted intentionally or was introduced as a contaminant with another plant.

Given the fact that yard waste is commonly disposed of and recycled at the Skaneateles Transfer Station at the center of the SCA, there seems to be a chance that Ficaria verna could be found at the SCA.

This species was originally included in the genus Ranunculus as R. ficaria L. but is currently placed in the separate genus Ficaria to maintain monophyletic genera within the Ranunculaceae.[2]

The name celandine is used for the the related invasive species Chelidonium majus[3]

  1. ↑ Cipollini & Schradin (2011). Guilty in the Court of Public Opinion: Testing Presumptive Impacts and Allelopathic Potential of Ranunculus ficaria." The American Midland Naturalist. 166(1):63-74 (July 2011).
  2. ↑ Khatere Emadzade, Carlos Lehnebach, Peter Lockhart & Elvira Hörandl (2010). "A molecular phylogeny, morphology and classification of genera of Ranunculeae (Ranunculaceae)." Taxon, 59:809-828
  3. ↑ Elizabeth J. Czarapata (2005). Invasive Plants of the Upper Midwest: An Illustrated Guide to Their Identification and Control.

Invasiveness ranking for Ficaria verna (lesser celandine)

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Lesser celandine (Ficaria verna, assessed as Ranunculus ficaria in 2008) received and invasiveness score of 77/90 = 85.56%.[1] and is now prohibited by New York State law.[2]

1. Ecological impact (23/30)

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1.1. Impact on Natural Ecosystem Processes and System-Wide Parameters: Unknown (U)

1.2. Impact on Natural Community Structure: Influences structure in one layer (3/10)

  • Increases density of the herbaceous layer.[3]

1.3. Impact on Natural Community Composition: Causes major alteration in community composition (10/10)

  • May substantially increases herb layer, extirpating many native species, especially spring ephemerals.[3]

1.4. Impact on other species or species groups: Severe impact on other species or species groups (10/10)

  • Large infestations of this plant eliminate spring ephemeral communities in woodlands, including native plants and presumably all species dependent on these plants.[3][4]

2. Biological characteristics and dispersal ability (25/25)

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2.1. Mode and rate of reproduction: Abundant reproduction with vegetative asexual spread documented (4/4)

  • Extensive, highly aggressive vegetative reproduction.[5]

2.2 Innate potential for long-distance dispersal: ()

2.3. Potential to be spread by human activities: ()

2.4. Characteristics that increase competitive advantage: ()

2.5. Growth vigor: ()

2.6. Germination/Regeneration: ()

2.7. Other species in the genus invasive in New York or elsewhere: ()

3. Ecological amplitude and distribution (25/25)

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3.1. Density of stands in natural areas in the northeastern USA and eastern Canada:

3.2. Number of habitats the species may invade:

3.3. Role of disturbance in establishment:

3.4. Climate in native range:

3.5. Current introduced distribution in the northeastern USA and eastern Canada:

3.6. Current introduced distribution of the species in natural areas in the 8 NY PRISMs:

4. Difficulty of control (10/10)

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4.1. Seed banks:

4.2. Vegetative regeneration:

4.3. Level of effort required:

References for invasiveness ranking

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  1. ↑ M.J. Jordan, G. Moore & T.W. Weldy (2008). Invasiveness ranking system for non-native plants of New York. Unpublished. The Nature Conservancy, Cold Spring Harbor, NY; Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn, NY; The Nature Conservancy, Albany, NY. Ranunculus ficaria assessed by Gerry Moore, 20 February to 20 June, 2008.
  2. ↑ New York Codes, Rules and Regulations, Title 6 Section 575.3 - Prohibited invasive species
  3. ↑ a b c Jil Swearingen, B. Slattery, K. Reshetiloff, & S. Zwicker. (2010) "Fig Buttercup" in Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas 4th ed. National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Washington, DC. 168pp.
  4. ↑ Douglas W. Tallamy (2007). Bringing nature home: how native plants sustain wildlife in our gardens. Portland, Or.: Timber Press.
  5. ↑ K. Taylor & Beryl Markham (1978). "Ranunculus Ficaria L. (Ficaria verna Huds.; F. Ranunculoides Moench)." Journal of Ecology, 66(3): 1011–1031.

Observations of Ficaria verna (lesser celandine) at the SCA

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The following photographs and corresponding iNaturalist observations of Ficaria verna were made at or very near the Skaneateles Conservation Area. Click on images to enlarge and read details on Wikimedia Commons or on the "iNat obs" links to view the corresponding observations at iNaturalist.

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