- Region
- North America
- Origin
- Prairies and open slopes of central and western North America, from Alaska and Manitoba to New Mexico
- Traditions
- Lakota medicine
North America · Herb · № 954
Pulsatilla nuttalliana (syn. P. patens subsp. multifida)
Herb · North America
American pasqueflower
Pulsatilla nuttalliana (syn. P. patens subsp. multifida)
A low plant of the buttercup family with hairy purple flowers that appear before the leaves. Like other pasqueflowers, the fresh plant contains protoanemonin, which strongly irritates skin and mucous membranes and raises blisters.
Safety notes
Poisonous if swallowed: do not take internally. Do not leave on the skin too long, as it raises blisters. Not on wounds or mucous membranes. Dried, the plant loses its sharpness. It is the state flower of South Dakota and the provincial emblem of Manitoba; do not pick it in the wild. Traditional use is no proof of effect; consult a doctor or pharmacist if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, take medication or have a medical condition.
Cautions by tradition (1)
- Lakota (Teton Sioux) medicine: Never take internally: poisonous. Not on wounds.
Preparation
External use only: lay bruised fresh leaves briefly on the skin as an irritant.
Use in traditions
The first flower of the prairie, often still among the snow. In Lakota it is called hokší čhekpa, 'child's navel', after the bud, which looks like the healing navel of a newborn; the Dakota call it 'twin flower'. An old Omaha man told Gilmore that the bruised leaves were laid on the painful place for rheumatism, as an irritant that raises a blister, and warned that the plant must never be taken internally.
Applications
Use by tradition
How different herbal traditions describe this herb. Amounts are traditional guidelines checked for obvious errors; they are not medical advice. For poisonous plants no dosage is given on purpose.
Lakota (Teton Sioux) medicine
Attributed effects
For rheumatism and similar pain, as an irritant that raises a blister (Omaha, in Gilmore). The flower is the first sign of spring.
Preparation and amount
Bruise the fresh leaves and lay them on the painful place; remove them before the skin burns too much.
Caution: Never take internally: poisonous. Not on wounds.
- Ways to prepare herbs
- Compress, poultice and paste