| Menu list goes here |
Herbal Database Search Results
Back
to: Pathways Main Search
Page For Metaphysical uses
visit The Witchs Haven
Primula veris
| Common name: |
Cowslip |
Family: |
Primulaceae |
| Author: |
L. |
Botanical references: |
17, 200 |
| Synonyms: |
Primula officinalis ((L.)Hill.) |
| Known Hazards: |
Some people are allergic to the stamens of this plant, though such cases are easily treated[7]. |
| Range: |
Europe, including Britain but absent from the extreme north, to temperate Asia. |
| Habitat: |
Grassy places, fields and woods with calcareous soils[7, 9, 13, 24]. |
| Edibility Rating (1-5): |
3 | Medicinal Rating (1-5): | 3 |
| Other Possible Synonyms: | From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below. |
| Gagea lutea[H]
|
| Other Common Names: | From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below. |
| Artetyke [H], Arthritica [H], Buckles [H], Cowslip [H,MS,L,E], Cowslip Primrose [B,P], Crewel [H], Cuhacicegi [E], Drelip [H], Fairy Cups [H], Gulden Sleutelbloem [D], Herb Peter [H], Herba Sancti Petri [E], Key Flower [H], Key Of Heaven [H], Mayflower [H], Our Lady's Keys [H], Paigle [H], Palsywort [H], Password [H], Peggle [H], Petty Mulleins [H], Plumrocks [H], Primavera [E], Seiyo-Sakura-So [E], Yellow Star Of Bethlehem [H], |
| Systematics: | From a USDA Plants Database |
|
Order: Primulales. Primrose family
|
| Other Range Info: |
From the Ethnobotany Database |
|
Europe
Spain Turkey
|
Physical Characteristics
Perennial growing to 0.25m by 0.2m . It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from April to May, and the seeds ripen from July to August. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees and Lepidoptera (Moths & Butterflies).
The plant is self-fertile.
We rate it 3/5 for edibility and
3/5 for medicinal use.
The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil.
The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soil.
It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade.
It requires moist soil.
Habitats and Possible Locations
Meadow, Hedgerow, Woodland, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge.Edible Uses
Flowers
Leaves Tea.
Young leaves - raw or cooked in soups etc[4, 7, 115, 148, 183]. They
are not that tasty, but are available in late winter which adds somewhat to
their value[K].
The fresh or dried leaves are used as a tea substitute[177, 183].
Flowers - raw, cooked or used in conserves, as a garnish etc[4, 183]. They
make an ornamental addition to the salad bowl[238, K]. This species has
become much less common in the past 100 years due to habitat destruction,
over-collecting from the wild and farming practices. When it was more
abundant, the flowers were harvested in quantity in the spring and used to
make a tasty wine with sedative and nervine properties[238].
Medicinal Uses
Disclaimer
Anodyne
Antiecchymotic Antiinflammatory Antispasmodic Diaphoretic Diuretic Expectorant Sedative Sternutatory.
Cowslips are an underused but valuable medicinal herb. They have a very
long history of medicinal use and have been particularly employed in treating
conditions involving spasms, cramps, paralysis and rheumatic pains[238]. The
plant contains saponins, which have an expectorant effect, and salicylates
which are the main ingredient of aspirin and have anodyne, anti-inflammatory
and febrifuge effects[238]. This remedy should not be prescribed for pregnant
women, patients who are sensitive to aspirin, or those taking anti-coagulant
drugs such as warfarin[238].
The flowers and the leaves are anodyne, diaphoretic, diuretic and
expectorant[7, 9, 21, 165]. They are harvested in the spring and can be used
fresh or dried[238].
The yellow corolla of the flower is antispasmodic and sedative[4]. They are
recommended for treating over-activity and sleeplessness, especially in
children[254]. They are potentially valuable in the treatment of asthma and
other allergic conditions[254]. At one time an oil was produced by maceration
of the flowers, this has an antiecchymotic effect (treats bruising)[7].
The root contains 5 - 10% triterpenoid saponins which are strongly
expectorant, stimulating a more liquid mucous and so easing the clearance of
phlegm [254]. It has been dried and made into a powder then used as a
sternutatory[7]. The root is also mildly diuretic, antirheumatic and slows
the clotting of blood[9, 254]. It is used in the treatment of chronic coughs
(especially those associated with chronic bronchitis and catarrhal
congestion), flu and other febrile conditions[9]. The root can be harvested
in the spring or autumn and is dried for later use[9].
The leaves have similar medicinal properties to the roots but are weaker in
action[254].
A homeopathic remedy is made from the plant[9]. It is used in the treatment
of kidney complaints and catarrh[9]. We have a more details factsheet on the history and medicinal use of this plant. Email webmaster@pfaf.org for details.
Other Uses
None known
Cultivation details
Prefers a medium to heavy moisture retentive humus rich loam in a cool
position with light to medium shade[200]. Grows well in heavy clay soils and
on chalk[187]. Prefers full sun and a well-drained alkaline soil if it is to
survive well[187, 238].
Plants are hardy to about -20° c[187].
A very ornamental plant[1], it grows well in the spring meadow[24].
The flowers diffuse a sweet fragrance quite unlike all other flower scents.
It has been likened by some to the breath of a cow (cuslippe is the Saxon
word for this and thus the origin of the common name), by others to the sweet
milky breath of a tiny child[245].
Propagation
Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[133]. Sow stored
seed in early spring in a cold frame[1]. Germination is inhibited by
temperatures above 20° c[200]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the
seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer.
Division in autumn. This is best done every other year[200].
Scent
-
Flowers: Fresh
- The flowers diffuse a sweet fragrance quite unlike all other flower scents. It has been likened by some to the breath of a cow, by others to the sweet milky breath of a tiny child[245].
Suppliers
For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.
Web References
- Details of Medicinal Uses, Habitats, etc. in M. Grieve A Modern Herbal (1931) [4]
- [H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
- [E] Ethnobotany Data
(common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
- [V] Images
from the Vascular Plant Image Gallery of the Texas A& M Bioinformatics Working Group.
- [B] Data
(Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
- [G] Data
(Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
- [P] Data.
(uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
- [HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database
References for Primula officinalis (a possible synonym).
References for the family Primulaceae.
See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.
Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.
[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.
[7] Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984 ISBN 0-356-10541-5
Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.
[9] Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn 1981 ISBN 0-600-37216-2
Covers plants in Europe. a drawing of each plant, quite a bit of interesting information.
[13] Triska. Dr. Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn 1975 ISBN 0-600-33545-3
Very interesting reading, giving some details of plant uses and quite a lot of folk-lore.
[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
[21] Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983 ISBN 0-553-23827-2
Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.
[24] Baines. C. Making a Wildlife Garden.
Fairly good with lots of ideas about creating wildlife areas in the garden.
[115] Johnson. C. P. The Useful Plants of Great Britain.
Written about a hundred years ago, but still a very good guide to the useful plants of Britain.
[133] Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 1. Thompson and Morgan. 1987
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.
[148] Niebuhr. A. D. Herbs of Greece. Herb Society of America. 1970
A pleasant little book about Greek herbs.
[165] Mills. S. Y. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
An excellent small herbal.
[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
[187] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991 ISBN 0-330-30936-9
Photographs of over 3,000 species and cultivars of ornamental plants together with brief cultivation notes, details of habitat etc.
[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.
[254] Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996 ISBN 9-780751-303148
An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.
Readers Comments
Main Search Page
Help
Bibliography
Plant information taken from the
Plants For A Future -
Species Database.
Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963 This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Primula+veris
This page (US) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Primula+veris
|
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons License.
(You can copy, distribute, display this works but: Attribution is required, its for Non-Commercial purposes, and it's Share Alike (GNUish/copyleft) i.e. has an identical license.)
We also ask that you let us know (michael@thewitchshaven.com) if
you link to, redistribute, make a derived work or do anything groovy with this information.
|
|
& (c) 2007 