Globe Flower
Where To Found It: Northern and Central Europe,
from the Caucasus and Siberia to Wales and sometimes Ireland. Found
wild in northern counties of England and in Scotland.
The plant grows usually in moist woods and mountain pastures,
and is about 2 feet high, the stalk being hollow, smooth, and branching
towards the top, each branch bearing one yellow flower without a
calix, shaped like that of Crowfoot. The leaves are beautifully
cut into five, indented sections. It is a favourite bloom for rustic
festivals, and early in June collections of it are made by youths
and maidens to decorate cottage doors.
It is often cultivated as a border flower, as are the other two
species of the genus.
The Swedish naturalist Peter Kalm affirms that these plants have
medicinal properties, but lose the greater part of their active
principles in drying. The irritant, acrid principle is not well
defined, and appears to be destroyed by the action of heat.
Modern Uses: It is stated that Trollius
is used in Russia in certain obscure maladies, while another authority
claims that it has cured a scorbutic case declared incurable by
doctors. It is a plant to be investigated.
Other Names: Globe Trollius. Boule d'Or.
European Globe Flower. Globe Ranunculus. Globe Crowfoot. Lucken-Gowans.
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