Native Plants

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Saturday - November 15, 2008

From: Mont Clare, PA
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Plant Identification
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

Hi, I live in ne pa.i have always had a fasvorite wild flower with yellow flowers in the spring. the plant lasts all summer and fall til first frost. It gets small thin bean like seed pods that I save and respread..if you cut the leaf stem it has a dark orange juice that I have been told will cure warts? the leaves are thin and delicate and have several petals.it is my fav. plant but I cannot find out the name. it grows in shade/partial sun..Help!

ANSWER:

Many of the plants in the Family Papaveraceae (poppy family) have yellowish or orangish sap. Chelidonium majus (greater celandine), a European native that has naturalized in Illinois,has yellow flowers, bean-like seed pods and yellow-orange sap but its leaves don't sound like your description. Plants for a Future, as well as Illinois Wildflowers, indicates that one of its medicinal usages is the removal of warts. Here are more photos.

Glaucium flavum, sea poppy, another European native that occurs in Pennsylvania, is also reported to have orange sap. Here are more photos.