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Wood Poppy, Celandine Poppy - Stylophorum diphyllum


Family: Papaveraceae - Poppy family Genus Common Name: Wood Poppy Native Status: NativeDicot Perennial Herb Leaves:Basal Leaves:Cauline Leaves:Subopposite Leaves:Lobed
Stylophorum diphyllum - Wood Poppy, Celandine Poppy.
Stylophorum is a very small genus of only 3 species in the relatively small Poppy family (Papaveraceae), which contains less than 250 species. Two Stylophorum species are native to China, and one, Stylophorum diphyllum, the one presented here, is found in North America. This beautiful spring wildflower is usually found on slopes of moist woods, thickets, and cedar barrens, but may occasionally be found in other more open habitats of the eastern part of the United States and in Ontario, Canada.

Synonyms: Chelidonium diphyllum, Stylophorum ohiense

Found in:
AL, AR, DC, DE, GA, IL, IN, KY, MD, MI, MO, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV

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Stylophorum diphyllum

Distribution of Stylophorum diphyllum in the United States and Canada:
Map unavailable.
Map courtesy of The Biota of North America Program.
Map color key

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Site: The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain, Walker County, GA Date: 2009-March-15Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Nikon D60
1/125f/8 ISO180
Nikon Nikkor AF-S 55-200mm 4-5.6G ED
200mm (300 equiv)
The beautiful yellow blossom of Wood Poppy (Celandine Poppy) here is surrounded by examples of another trait of Stylophorum diphyllum - its hairiness. Notice the hairs on the stem, the underside of the leaves, and on the bud. The flower has 4 bright yellow petals each of which may be over an inch wide. There are numerous yellow stamens surrounding the pale greenish-yellow pistil.
Stylophorum diphyllum

Site: The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain, Walker County, GA Date: 2008-March-26Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
1/125f7.1 ISO400
The Wood Poppy flowers' pedicel may be over 3 inches long.
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Stylophorum diphyllum

Site: The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain, Walker County, GA Date: 2016-March-12Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Nikon D7000
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Stylophorum diphyllum

Site: The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain, Walker County, GA Date: 2009-March-21Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Nikon D60
Most of the leaves of Stylophorum diphyllum are in a basal rosette, and may be up to 20 inches long, including the fairly long petiole. There will also usually be at least a pair of subopposite cauline (stem) leaves. The leaves are deeply pinnately lobed with 5 to 7 lobes. The lobes are crenate or irregularly dentate. The plant may be up to about 20 inches tall.
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Stylophorum diphyllum

Site: The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain, Walker County, GA Date: 2008-April-19Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Nikon D40
The fruit of Stylophorum diphyllum is ellipsoid and downy, covered with long, soft hairs. This helps differentiate it from the non-native Chelidonium majus which has linear, glabrous fruit. C. majus - Greater Celandine - is the only remaining species in the Celandine genus, in which Wood Poppy was formerly classified; thus another common name, Celandine Poppy, is sometime applied to Stylophorum diphyllum. Greater Celandine also has a very short style, while Wood Poppy has a longer style that is slightly less than 1/2 inch long.
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Stylophorum diphyllum

Site: The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain, Walker County, GA Date: 2008-May-31Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Nikon D40
The fruit of Stylophorum diphyllum dehisces from the apex.
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Stylophorum diphyllum

Site: The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain, Walker County, GA Date: 2008-April-02Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Nikon D40
Colony of Wood Poppy covering a slope in the rich, moist hardwood forest of The Pocket along the Shirley Miller Wildflower Trail.
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Stylophorum diphyllum

References used for identification and information:
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Stylophorum diphyllum initially published on USWildflowers.com 2008-12-31; Updated 2018-12-22

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All content except USDA Plants Database map Copyright Gerald C. Williamson 2024
Photographs Copyright owned by the named photographer



Code Update 20230302