attractive nuisance

[OT from cottage renovations]

among the hazards of being a botanical ignoramus is a certain tendency get things wrong.  on becoming aware of any misidentification I do try to correct the entry/ies right away. 

over the past week or so a patch of pretty yellow flowers came into bloom and were noted in this space on Monday and again on Wednesday.  incorrectly identified at the time as swamp (marsh) buttercup Ranunculus septentrionalis it turns out they are actually fig buttercup R. ficaria, also known as lesser celandine. 

this is not good news.  a report detailing a decade of infestation and attempted control in Sligo Creek Park was featured in the invasive species weblog (syndicated to LJ users as invasivespec) and makes for sober reading.  it certainly gives the impression that timely action is called for before it gets out of control here in the Grove.