petal-in-paw

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Lesser celandine (Ranunculus ficaria)

Pansies, Lilies, Kingcups, Daisies,
Let them live upon their praises;
Long as there's a sun that sets
Primroses will have their glory;
Long as there are Violets,
They will have a place in story:
There's a flower that shall be mine,
'Tis the little Celandine.

- From To The Small Celandine by William Wordsworth, 1802 

Lesser celandine (Ranunculus ficaria) is now blooming by the Ijams Homesite pond, where the spring peepers are peeping and the chorus frogs chorusing. 

Celandine comes from the Latin "chelidonia" meaning swallow. It is said the yellow flowers bloom to welcome home the swallows, and, indeed, I saw three tree swallows flying around the plaza last Saturday.

Spring peeper

The flower's genus name Ranunculus is Latin for "little frog" from rana "frog" plus a diminutive ending signifying small. When the lesser celandine blooms, the lesser frogs are generally nearby crooning, if you want to call it that.

This celandine and frog go hand-in-hand, petal-in-paw. (Well OK, frogs do not have paws, they have hands and feet, but a writer cannot avoid the obvious alliteration.) 

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