Pulsatilla Vulgaris (Pasque Flower)

Scientific Name(s): Pulsatilla vulgaris Mill. P. pratensis L., P. patens (L.) Mill. Family: Ranunculaceae (buttercup family)

Common Name(s): Pasque flower , meadow anemone , pulsatilla , wind flower , Easter flower

Commonly called the pasque flower, this eye-catching perennial is the state flower of South Dakota, where it grows wild. It has feathery foliage and purple, maroon or white flowers. Long hairs cover the blooms and resulting seedheads, which give the flowers a fuzzy appearance

This flower grows to between 6 and 12 inches high and produces a bell-shaped purple to blue blossom with a yellow center. It prefers sparsely wooded coniferous forests and meadows with soils rich in calcium. After flowering, it produces a fuzzy, round fruit. Pulsatilla vulgaris has finely divided, fernlike leaves.

Health Benefits

The dried whole plant of pulsatilla has been used in Europe for a variety of medicinal purposes, including dysmenorrhea and other gynecological disorders, skin diseases, asthma, and eye infections, and as a diuretic and expectorant. It is widely used in homeopathic preparations, once being considered specific for measles, and also used for toothache, earache, and indigestion. A large number of Asian species of pulsatilla (eg, P. cernua Spreng ., Japanese name “Hakutoo,” P. chinensis (Bunge) Regel. and others, Chinese name “Bai Tou Weng”) have also been used medicinally.

The most notable compounds in pulsatilla and many other Ranunculaceae are ranunculin, protoanemonin, and anemonin. Protoanemonin has been reported to have antibacterial, antimalarial, and antifungal activity, and has been found to be cytotoxic as well. These properties may be due to the ability of protoanemonin to alkylate reactive moieties on proteins and other biomolecules.

Dosage:

The fresh plant is toxic; classical doses of the dried herb were from 0.1 to 0.4 g daily. Avoid use during pregnancy. Uterine stimulant