medicinal herbs
Pasque Flower
Pulsatilla patens

• Medicinal herbs
• Natural herbs
• Latin names
• Common names

Herb: Pasque Flower

Latin name: Pulsatilla patens

Synonyms: Anemone patens

Family: Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family)

Medicinal use of Pasque Flower:

Appetizer, digestive, diuretic, emmenagogue, expectorant, stimulant. Use of the plant lessens sexual excitement. It does not diminish sexual power but rather strengthens it by lessening morbid excitement. A drug derived from the chopped whole plant induces vomiting and irritation of the kidneys. In high doses it acts as a depressant on the central nervous system and the heart. A decoction of the plant has been used to speed delivery of a child. A poultice of the fresh crushed leaves has been applied in the treatment of rheumatism and neuralgia. A volatile oil contained in the plant is used as an irritant.

Description of the plant:

Habitat of the herb:

Sparse pine forests and dry sunny slopes. Grassy slopes, mountain slopes under forests at around 1100 metres in northern China.

Propagation of Pasque Flower:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in early summer in a cold frame. The seed usually germinates in about 2 - 3 weeks. Sow stored seed in late winter in a cold frame. Germination takes about 1 - 6 months at 15°C. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in the spring. Root cuttings, 4cm long taken in early winter, potted up in a mixture of peat and sand. They can also be taken in July/August, planted vertically in pots in a greenhouse or frame.

Cultivation of the herb:

Sparse pine forests and dry sunny slopes. Grassy slopes, mountain slopes under forests at around 1100 metres in northern China.

Known hazards of Pulsatilla patens:

Although no mention has been seen for this species, at least one member of the genus is slightly toxic, the toxins being dissipated by heat or by drying the plant.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.