Pulsatilla nuttalliana


Pulsatilla nuttalliana
  • Common Names
  • Pasque Flower , Pasque Flower, Prairie Crocus
  • Botanical Name
  • Pulsatilla nuttalliana
  • Syn. Anemone patens v.nuttalliana,
  • Family
  • RANUNCULACEAE
Share

Medicinal Uses & Benefits of Pasque Flower

remedyHow to Use| Side Effects | Plant & Garden|

How to Use:


The early spring blooms of the American pasque flower is found in abundance in the heartland prairies from Wisconsin northward and westward to the Rocky Mountains. Pasque flower was listed in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia at the time Millspaugh published his "American Medical Plants" in 1882, and was prescribed by both Eclectic physicians and homeopaths for nervous exhaustion and dysmenorrhoea.1. It has fallen out of use in herbal medicine today because of its high toxicity.

Preparation Methods & Dosage :The flowering tops of the fresh plant can be made into a tincture, and taken in very small doses. Tincture dosage is 1 to 2 ml three times a day (1:10 in 40%). 2


Side Effects: The fresh plant is poisonous, and highly irritating to the skin and mucus membranes.

^ Top^

Plant Description


  • Plant Class:'Perennial Wildflower
  • Etymology: The common name 'Pasque Flower' was given for its early blooming habits coinciding with Easter
  • Flowers/Fruit/Seeds:Light purplish flowers bloom in April before the appearance of the true leaves. Flowers give way to feathery seed heads which are quite showy.
  • Parts used: Whole herb
  • Leaves/Stem :Erect, hairy stem grows to height of 4 to 10 inches, leaves divided, greyish green and lacy with smooth tops and hairy undersides.
  • Flowering Season:Spring
  • Distribution:The American pasque flower is found in abundance in the heartland prairies from Wisconsin northward and westward to the Rocky Mountains. It attains a luxuriance of growth in Eastern Dakota and is the state flower of South Dakota

Regional Traditions :North America *

Related Species Anemone pulsatilla, Pulsatilla vulgaris European var


History and Traditions & Folklore


References:
books citedWorks Cited
  1. Henriettes Herbal King's American Dispensatory, 1898.
    its most important use is to allay irritation of the nervous system in persons of feeble health, thus giving sleep and rest,
  2. Hoffmann, David (2010-12-15). Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine (Kindle Locations 28236-28238). Healing Arts Press. Kindle Edition.