Ficaria verna 榕葉毛茛, 榕毛茛

Common name: Lesser Celandine
Scientific name: Ficaria verna 榕葉毛茛, 榕毛茛
Genus:  Ficaria 
Family: Ranunculaceae 毛茛科, buttercup family

Remarks:  There are two subspecies. Ssp. verna has bulbils developing in leaf axils after flowering whereas ssp. fertilis has no bulbils. Ssp. verna produces fewer ripe fruits, giving a mis-shapen head of fruit whereas ssp. fertilis produces a "full head" of fruit.

The Ficaria verna name comes from the Latin diminutive for figs. It was called lesser celandine because its resemblance to the greater celandine (Chelidonium majus 白屈菜). (Note the greater celandine and lesser celandine are belonged to different families.) Verna is a reference to its habit of growing and flowering early in the spring rather than during the rest of the summer and fall.

Origin: native

Date:  18th & 25th March

(above: 25th March)

different stages of flower bud (photo above and below)

The outer whorl contains 3 sepals and the inner whorl contains 7-12 petals (8 in this photo). 

There are 3 sepals in Ficaria (this species) whereas there are 5 sepals in Ranunculus 毛茛屬
(above: 25th March)

Petals fell already, only the pistils left. Maybe it is fruiting.