#pilewort

Saturday 19 February 2022

Lesser celandine (Ficaria verna)

Pilewort

Also known as : Pileweed, Lesser Celandine, Fig Buttercup, Grian, Devils milk

Identification : In the buttercup family the bright yellow flowers appear in spring and have 7 to 12 pointed petals. The leaves are heart shaped and it grows in clumps.

Scientific Name : Ficaria Verna (formally Ranunculus Ficaria)

Properties : anti-hemorrhoidal, Astringent, Anti-fungal, Demulcent

Uses : As the name suggests it was a common treatment for piles (inserted as a suppository, it also worked on warts and cancerous growths

Try It : Bruised herbs were mixed with lard and applied to the affected area to remove warts on the skin. (No it don't really fancy trying this one either)

Warnings : harmful if Eaten, (can damage the liver). Toxic to grazing animals.

Parts used: Whole plant

Magic : Carried with you for legal protection. This plant has a rather unpleasant past with the dark craft. There are various accounts of farmers scorning travelling witches and waking to find that their prized bull had died in agony overnight. The spells used have been lost to time but the main cause is believed to be the "Devils Milk" Pilewort. Readily available it could be collected from verges and combined with other ingredients to make a ball that once fed to an animal would cause a painful death. For a long term curse the speeds could be spread around the edges of the fields. Most people simply assume the plant is a buttercup and leave it to poison all the animals slowly over time.

Planet : Sun (it’s name in Celtic means sun)

Element : Fire

Deities : The Celtic goddess Grainne, Sun Deities including Ra and Apollo

Folklore and History : As the acrid juice can remove warts it can also leave marks on the skin, beggars would apply the juice to gain sympathy and a larger payday. It was the favourite flower of the famous English poet Wordsworth. You can use this plant as a weather station the flowers only open after 9am and will close before raining starts.

Plant Tips : Considered an invasive weed, flowers in late Mar-Apr. It only grows to 2” (5cm) high. This plant is a hermaphrodite and hence self-pollinating.