The
genus ''Pulsatilla'' contains about 40
species of
herbaceous
Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials.
Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous"
The fourth edition of t ...
perennial plants native to meadows and prairies of
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
,
Europe, and
Asia. Derived from the Hebrew word for Passover, "pasakh", the common name pasque flower refers to the
Easter (
Passover) flowering period, in the spring. Common names include pasque flower (or pasqueflower), wind flower, prairie crocus, Easter flower, and meadow anemone. Several species are valued ornamentals because of their finely-dissected
leaves
A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...
, solitary bell-shaped
flowers, and plumed
seed heads. The showy part of the flower consists of
sepals, not petals.
Taxonomy
The genus ''Pulsatilla'' was first formally named in 1754 by the English botanist
Philip Miller. The
type species is ''
Pulsatilla vulgaris'', the European pasque flower.
It is sometimes considered a
subgenus
In biology, a subgenus (plural: subgenera) is a taxonomic rank directly below genus.
In the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between t ...
under the genus ''
Anemone'' or as an informally named "group" within ''Anemone'' subg. ''Anemone'' sect. ''Pulsatilloides''.
Species
,
Kew's
Plants of the World Online
Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It was launched in March 2017 with the ultimate aim being "to enable users to access information on all the world's known seed-bearing plants by ...
lists 42 species in the genus ''Pulsatilla'':
Plants of the World Online lists ten named hybrids:
*''Pulsatilla'' × ''bolzanensis''
Murr
*''Pulsatilla'' × ''celakovskyana''
Domin
*''Pulsatilla'' × ''emiliana''
(F.O.Wolf) Beauverd
*''Pulsatilla'' × ''gayeri''
Simonk.
*''Pulsatilla'' × ''girodii''
(Rouy) P.Fourn.
*''Pulsatilla'' × ''hackelii''
Pohl
*''Pulsatilla'' × ''knappii''
(Palez.) Palez.
*''Pulsatilla'' × ''weberi''
(Widder) Janch. ex Holub
*''Pulsatilla'' × ''wilczekii''
(F.O.Wolf ex Hegi) P.Fourn.
*''Pulsatilla'' × ''yanbianensis''
H.Z.Lv
Cultural significance
''
Pulsatilla nuttalliana
''Pulsatilla nuttalliana'', known as American pasqueflower, prairie pasqueflower, prairie crocus, cutleaf anemone, or simply pasqueflower, is a flowering plant native to much of North America, from the western side of Lake Michigan, to northern ...
'' (as the
synonym
A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...
''P. patens'') is the provincial flower of
Manitoba, Canada and (as the synonym ''P. hirsutissima'') the state flower of the US state of
South Dakota. ''
Pulsatilla vulgaris'' is the
County flower for both
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...
and
Cambridgeshire in
England. ''
Pulsatilla vernalis'' is the county flower of
Oppland,
Norway. The UK has introduced the UK biodiversity action plan to address the 49% decline in wild ''Pulsatilla'' species.
Use and toxicity
''Pulsatilla'' is a toxic plant. Misuse can lead to
diarrhea, vomiting and convulsions,
hypotension, and
coma
A coma is a deep state of prolonged unconsciousness in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light, or sound, lacks a normal wake-sleep cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. Coma patients exhi ...
. It has been used as a medicine by Native Americans for centuries. Blackfoot Indians used it to induce abortions and childbirth. ''Pulsatilla'' should not be taken during
pregnancy nor during
lactation.
Extracts of ''Pulsatilla'' have been used to treat reproductive problems such as
premenstrual syndrome
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) refers to emotional and physical symptoms that regularly occur in the one to two weeks before the start of each menstrual period. Symptoms resolve around the time menstrual bleeding begins. Different women experienc ...
and
epididymitis. Additional applications of plant extracts include uses as a
sedative
A sedative or tranquilliser is a substance that induces sedation by reducing irritability or excitement. They are CNS depressants and interact with brain activity causing its deceleration. Various kinds of sedatives can be distinguished, but t ...
and for treating coughs. It is also used in the field of
homeopathy
Homeopathy or homoeopathy is a pseudoscientific system of alternative medicine. It was conceived in 1796 by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann. Its practitioners, called homeopaths, believe that a substance that causes symptoms of a dis ...
.
References
''Anemone pulsatilla'' Wildflowers index, Department of Horticultural Science of NC State University
* Gregory L. Tilford 1997. ''Edible and Medicinal plants of the West'', Mountain Press Publishing
preview- "Pasqueflower (''Pulsatilla vulgaris'') Local species action plan for Cambridgeshire, 1999"
{{Taxonbar, from=Q147764
Pulsatilla,
Ranunculaceae genera
Medicinal plants
Symbols of South Dakota
Articles containing video clips
Taxa named by Philip Miller