Comments on: Confusion over Celandine

By: Toru Knives

Toru Knives — Mon, 11 Oct 2021 07:28:43 +0000

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Keep up the good writing.

By: John Bickel

John Bickel — Tue, 11 Apr 2017 19:24:24 +0000

Hi Vince, that’s true about the walking stick eggs! Apparently, its not all species of Phasmatodea (stick insects) that exhibit the myrmecochorous mimicry, but a select few species including the common North American walkingstick (Diapheromera femorata). According to my sources, the eggs, which are very seed-like, have a knob on the end called a capitulum which exudes a fatty substance that is very similar to an elaiosome. The ants will take the egg to their nest and consume the capitulum while the embryo remains unaffected and the egg overwinters and hatches in the ant nest. It’s amazing that all of the phases of the insect’s life cycle are so deeply tied to plant mimicry! Thanks for the comment!

John Bickel
Assistant Horticulturist

By: Vince

Vince — Sat, 08 Apr 2017 16:04:17 +0000

I read that the eggs of walking stick insects look similar to seeds, complete with the something that resembles the eliasome that John mentioned. So the ants also carry them into their “condominiums” where they remain protected until they hatch.
I can’t remember where I read this… now I have to look it up to confirm.

By: Julie Vrooman

Julie Vrooman — Thu, 07 May 2009 22:56:54 +0000

A former Arboretum intern taught me to distinguish Stylophorum from Chelidonium by the seed pods. The former being a rounded oval, and the later being long and thin – a little like garlic mustard.

Hi John! That’s intersting about the ants. I will be on the lookout.

By: John Manion

John Manion — Thu, 07 May 2009 14:12:58 +0000

To see an excellent example of one of this plant’s mechanisms for seed dispersal, open a ripe seed pod. Attached to each seed will be a lighter-colored appengage attached, called an eliasome.. Ants favor these protein-rich tidbits for larval food and after carrying the seeds back to their underground condominiums, they feed the eliasome to their larvae and dispose of the seed in their compost piles, where it will germinate.

By: Andrew Bunting

Andrew Bunting — Tue, 05 May 2009 20:28:40 +0000

Stylophorum has broader leaves and Chelidonium leaves are more dissected. Also, the flowers are smaller on Chelidonium. However, they are visually very similar.

Andrew Bunting, Curator

By: Jan Semler

Jan Semler — Tue, 05 May 2009 19:13:34 +0000

I was given a ‘Wood Poppy’ as a gift several years ago, and purchased two more last year. It is happy in my shade garden and is naturalizing nicely. A bit of sun in the shade!

By: Jon

Jon — Tue, 05 May 2009 16:30:48 +0000

Thanks for the post. However, isn’t the harder distinction between our native Stylophorum diphyllum and the introduced Chelidonium majus?