Pulsatilla

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Ordo: Ranunculales

Familia: Ranunculaceae
Subfamilia: Ranunculoideae
Tribus: Anemoneae
Genus: Pulsatilla
Species: P. ajanensis – P. albana – P. alpina – P. ambigua – P. aurea – P. bungeana – P. campanella – P. cernua – P. chinensis – P. dahurica – P. georgica – P. grandis – P. halleri – P. herba-somnii – P. integrifolia – P. kostyczewii – P. magadanensis – P. millefolium – P. montana – P. multiceps – P. nipponica – P. nivalis – P. nuttalliana – P. occidentalis – P. orientali-sibirica – P. patens – P. pratensis – P. reverdattoi – P. rubra – P. sachalinensis – P. scherfelii – P. sukaczewii – P. taraoi – P. tatewakii – P. tenuiloba – P. tongkangensis – P. turczaninovii – P. usensis – P. vernalis – P. violacea – P. vulgaris – P. wallichiana – P. zimmermannii
Nothospecies: P. × bolzanensis – P. × celakovskyana – P. × emiliana – P. × gayeri – P. × girodii – P. × hackelii – P. × knappii – P. × weberi – P. × wilczekii – P. × yanbianensis
Name

Pulsatilla Mill., Gard. Dict. Abr. ed. 4, vol. 3 (1754).

Lectotype species: Pulsatilla vulgaris Mill., Gard. Dict. ed 8. (1768) (= Anemone pulsatilla L.), designated by N.L. Britton & A. Brown, Ill. Fl. N.U.S. ed. 2. 2: 102 (1913).

Synonyms

Homotypic
Anemone sect. Pulsatilla (Mill.) DC., Syst. Nat. 1: 193 (1817).
Anemone sect. Pulsatilla (Mill.) Le Maout & Decne., Traité Gén. Bot. 174 (1868), comb. superfl.
Anemone subg. Pulsatilla (Mill.) Heer, Mitth. Geb. Theor. Erdk. 1: 449 (1836).
Heterotypic
Anetilla Galushko, Fl. Severn. Kavkaza Vopr. Ist. 1: 278 (1978).
Miyakea Miyabe & Tatew., Trans. Sapporo Nat. Hist. Soc. 14: 2 (1935).
Preonanthus Ehrh., Beitr. Naturk. 4: 149 (1789).

References
Primary references

Miller, P. 1754. The Gardeners Dictionary. Abridged. Ed. 4, Vol. 1–3 (unpaged). John & James Rivington, London. DOI: 10.5962/bhl.title.79061 Reference page. (BHL).

Additional references

Britton, N.L. & Brown, A. 1913. An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British possessions: from Newfoundland to the parallel of the southern boundary of Virginia, and from the Atlantic Ocean westward to the 102d meridian. ed. 2. C. Scribner's sons, New York. Vol. 2: 102. Reference page.
Juzepczuk, S.V. 1937. Pulsatilla. Pp. 285–307 in Komarov, V.L. & Schischkin, B.K. (eds.), Flora URSS (Flora Unionis Rerumpublicarum Sovieticarum Socialisticarum) VII. [Nymphaeaceae – Papaveraceae] [in Russian]. xxvi + 790 pp., Academia Scientiarum URSS, Mosqua, Leningrad. DJVU English translation: English translation: 615 pp. BHL Reference page.
Jiang, N., Zhou, Z., Guan, K.Y. & Yu, W.B. 2015. Nomenclatural transfer of Chinese Pulsatilla to Anemone (Ranunculaceae). Nordic Journal of Botany 33(4): 469–471. DOI: 10.1111/njb.00700 Paywall ResearchGate Reference page.
Sramkó, G., Laczkó, L., Volkova, P.A., Bateman, R.M. & Mlinarec, J. 2019. Evolutionary history of the Pasque-flowers (Pulsatilla, Ranunculaceae): Molecular phylogenetics, systematics and rDNA evolution. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 135: 45–61. DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2019.02.015 PaywallPDF Reference page.

Links

Hassler, M. 2021. Pulsatilla. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2021. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published online. Accessed: 2021 April 23. Reference page.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2021. Pulsatilla in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2021 April 23. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2021. Pulsatilla. Published online. Accessed: 23 April 2021.
Tropicos.org 2021. Pulsatilla. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 23 April 2021.

Vernacular names

azərbaycanca: Güləbətin
Boarisch: Osterglocke
беларуская: расліна, Сон
català: Pulsatil·la
čeština: Koniklec
dansk: Kobjælde
Deutsch: Kuhschellen
dolnoserbski: Bimbawka
English: Pasqueflower
Esperanto: Pulsatilo
eesti: Karukell
euskara: Pulsatila
فارسی: پولساتیلا
suomi: Kylmänkukat
français: Pulsatille
हिन्दी: पल्सेटिला निग्रिकेस
hornjoserbsce: Bimbawka
magyar: Kökörcsin
հայերեն: Քնախոտ
日本語: オキナグサ属
ქართული: მედგარა
қазақша: Құндызшөп
кыргызча: Кундуз гүл
lietuvių: Šilagėlė
монгол: Яргуй
кырык мары: Алангышуды
norsk bokmål: Kubjeller
polski: Sasanka
русский: Прострел
slovenčina: Poniklec
svenska: Backsippor
Türkçe: Rüzgargülü
українська: Сон
中文: 白头翁属

The genus Pulsatilla contains about 40 species of herbaceous perennial plants native to meadows and prairies of North America, 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.[2][3] 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, 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[4], the European pasque flower.

It is sometimes considered a subgenus under the genus Anemone or as an informally named "group" within Anemone subg. Anemone sect. Pulsatilloides.[5]
Species
The Pasque flower: Fred Rumsey, Botanist, The Natural History Museum.
Pulsatilla nuttalliana
Pulsatilla vulgaris fruit

As of April 2020, Kew's Plants of the World Online lists 42 species in the genus Pulsatilla:[1]

Pulsatilla ajanensis Regel & Tiling
Pulsatilla albana (Steven) Bercht. & J.Presl
Pulsatilla alpina (L.) Delarbre
Pulsatilla ambigua (Turcz. ex Hayek) Zämelis & Paegle
Pulsatilla aurea (Sommier & Levier) Juz.
Pulsatilla bungeana C.A.Mey.
Pulsatilla campanella (Regel & Tiling) Fisch. ex Krylov
Pulsatilla cernua (Thunb.) Bercht. & J.Presl
Pulsatilla chinensis (Bunge) Regel
Pulsatilla dahurica (Fisch. ex DC.) Spreng.
Pulsatilla georgica Rupr.
Pulsatilla grandis Wender.
Pulsatilla halleri (All.) Willd.
Pulsatilla herba-somnii Stepanov
Pulsatilla integrifolia (Miyabe & Tatew.) Tatew. & Ohwi ex Vorosch.
Pulsatilla koreana
Pulsatilla kostyczewii (Korsh.) Juz.
Pulsatilla magadanensis A.P.Khokhr. & Vorosch.
Pulsatilla millefolia (Hemsl. & E.H.Wilson) Ulbr.
Pulsatilla montana (Hoppe) Rchb.
Pulsatilla multiceps Greene
Pulsatilla nipponica (H.Takeda) Ohwi
Pulsatilla nuttalliana (DC.) Spreng.
Pulsatilla occidentalis (S.Watson) Freyn
Pulsatilla orientali-sibirica Stepanov
Pulsatilla patens (L.) Mill.
Pulsatilla pratensis (L.) Mill.
Pulsatilla reverdattoi Polozhij & A.T.Malzeva
Pulsatilla rubra (Lam.) Delarbre
Pulsatilla sachalinensis H.Hara
Pulsatilla scherfelii (Ullep.) Skalický
Pulsatilla sukaczewii Juz.
Pulsatilla taraoi (Makino) Zämelis & Paegle
Pulsatilla tatewakii Kudô
Pulsatilla tenuiloba (Turcz.) Juz.
Pulsatilla tongkangensis Y.N.Lee & T.C.Lee
Pulsatilla turczaninovii Krylov & Serg.
Pulsatilla usensis Stepanov
Pulsatilla vernalis (L.) Mill.
Pulsatilla violacea Rupr.
Pulsatilla vulgaris Mill.
Pulsatilla wallichiana (Royle) Ulbr.
Pulsatilla zimmermannii Soó

Plants of the World Online lists ten named hybrids:[1]

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 (as the synonym P. patens) is the provincial flower of Manitoba, Canada[6] and (as the synonym P. hirsutissima) the state flower of the US state of South Dakota.[7] Pulsatilla vulgaris is the County flower for both Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire in England.[8] 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.[2]
Use and toxicity

Pulsatilla is a toxic plant. Misuse can lead to diarrhea, vomiting and convulsions,[9] hypotension, and coma.[10] 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.[11]

Extracts of Pulsatilla have been used to treat reproductive problems such as premenstrual syndrome and epididymitis.[11] Additional applications of plant extracts include uses as a sedative and for treating coughs.[11] It is also used in the field of homeopathy.[11]
References

"Pulsatilla". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
Fowler, Alys. (March 2005). "Pulsatilla". Horticulture Week; Teddington. 20. ProQuest 225454561.
"Prairie Pasque". South Dakota Magazine. April 6, 2016. Retrieved April 7, 2016.
"Pulsatilla Mill". ipni.org. International Plant Names Index. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
Hoot, S. B., J. D. Palmer, and A. A. Reznicek. 1994. Phylogenetic relationships in Anemone based on morphology and chloroplast DNA variation. Systematic Botany 19: 169–200. hdl:2027.42/105541
Government of Manitoba. "Symbols of Manitoba". Archived from the original on 2005-12-10. Retrieved 2011-04-10.
Chapter 1 2005 South Dakota Legislative Manual The Mount Rushmore State
Plantlife website County Flowers page Archived 2015-04-30 at the Wayback Machine
Edible and Medicinal plants of the West, Gregory L. Tilford, ISBN 0-87842-359-1
Yarnell, E. and Abascal, K. (2001) Botanical Treatments for Depression: Part 2 - Herbal Corrections for Mood Imbalances

Vaughan, John Griffith; Patricia Ann Judd; David Bellamy (2003). The Oxford Book of Health Foods. Oxford University Press. pp. 127. ISBN 978-0-19-850459-7. "pulsatilla."

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 ISBN 0-87842-359-1 preview
[1] - "Pasqueflower (Pulsatilla vulgaris) Local species action plan for Cambridgeshire, 1999"