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Primula veris (Cowslip; syn. Primula officinalis Hill
John Hill (author)

John Hill , called from his Swedish honours, "Sir" John Hill, was an English author and botanist. He contributed to contemporary periodicals and was awarded the title of Sir in recognition of his illustrated botanical compendium The Vegetable System....
) is a flowering plant
Flowering plant

The flowering plants or angiosperms are the most widespread group of Embryophytes. The flowering plants and the gymnosperms are the only extant groups of Spermatophyte....
 in the genus
Genus

A genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The taxonomic ranks are domain , kingdom , phylum, class , order , family , genus, and species....
 Primula
Primula

Primula is a genus of 400?500 species of low-growing herbs in the family Primulaceae. They include Primula vulgaris, Primula auricula, Primula veris and Primula elatior....
. The species is native throughout most of temperate Europe
Europe

Europe is, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast....
 and Asia
Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent. It covers 8.6% of the Earth's total surface area and, with over 4 billion people, it contains more than 60% of the world's current human population....
, and although absent from more northerly areas including much of northwest Scotland
Scotland

conventional_long_name = ScotlandAlba|common_name= Scotland|image_flag = Flag of Scotland.svg|flag_width = 130px...
, it reappears in northernmost Sutherland
Sutherland

Sutherland is a registration county, Lieutenancy areas of Scotland and historic administrative Counties of Scotland of Scotland. It is now within the Highland Council areas of Scotland....
 and Orkney.

s a low growing herbaceous
Herbaceous

A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaf and stem that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. A herbaceous plant may be Annual plant, Biennial plant or Perennial plant....
 perennial plant
Perennial plant

A perennial plant or perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. When used by gardeners or horticulturalists, this term applies specifically to perennial herbaceous plants....
 with a rosette of leaves
Leaf

In botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant Organ specialized for photosynthesis. For this purpose, a leaf is typically flat and thin, to expose the cells containing chloroplast to light over a broad area, and to allow light to penetrate fully into the tissues....
 5-15 cm long and 2-6 cm broad.






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Primula veris (Cowslip; syn. Primula officinalis Hill
John Hill (author)

John Hill , called from his Swedish honours, "Sir" John Hill, was an English author and botanist. He contributed to contemporary periodicals and was awarded the title of Sir in recognition of his illustrated botanical compendium The Vegetable System....
) is a flowering plant
Flowering plant

The flowering plants or angiosperms are the most widespread group of Embryophytes. The flowering plants and the gymnosperms are the only extant groups of Spermatophyte....
 in the genus
Genus

A genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The taxonomic ranks are domain , kingdom , phylum, class , order , family , genus, and species....
 Primula
Primula

Primula is a genus of 400?500 species of low-growing herbs in the family Primulaceae. They include Primula vulgaris, Primula auricula, Primula veris and Primula elatior....
. The species is native throughout most of temperate Europe
Europe

Europe is, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast....
 and Asia
Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent. It covers 8.6% of the Earth's total surface area and, with over 4 billion people, it contains more than 60% of the world's current human population....
, and although absent from more northerly areas including much of northwest Scotland
Scotland

conventional_long_name = ScotlandAlba|common_name= Scotland|image_flag = Flag of Scotland.svg|flag_width = 130px...
, it reappears in northernmost Sutherland
Sutherland

Sutherland is a registration county, Lieutenancy areas of Scotland and historic administrative Counties of Scotland of Scotland. It is now within the Highland Council areas of Scotland....
 and Orkney.

Growth

It is a low growing herbaceous
Herbaceous

A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaf and stem that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. A herbaceous plant may be Annual plant, Biennial plant or Perennial plant....
 perennial plant
Perennial plant

A perennial plant or perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. When used by gardeners or horticulturalists, this term applies specifically to perennial herbaceous plants....
 with a rosette of leaves
Leaf

In botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant Organ specialized for photosynthesis. For this purpose, a leaf is typically flat and thin, to expose the cells containing chloroplast to light over a broad area, and to allow light to penetrate fully into the tissues....
 5-15 cm long and 2-6 cm broad. The deep yellow flower
Flower

A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproduction structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to mediate the union of male sperm with female ovum in order to produce seeds....
s are produced in the spring
Spring (season)

Spring is one of the four temperate seasons. Spring marks the transition from winter into summer....
 between April and May; they are in clusters of 10-30 together on a single stem 5-20 cm tall, each flower 9-15 mm broad. Red-flowered plants do occur, very rarely.

Cowslipselsley
It is frequently found on more open ground than Primula vulgaris
Primula vulgaris

Primula vulgaris is a species of Primula native to western and southern Europe , northwest Africa , and southwest Asia . The common name is primrose, or occasionally common primrose or English primrose to distinguish it from other Primula species also called primroses....
 (primrose) including open fields, meadows, and coastal dune
Dune

In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by aeolian processes. Dunes are subject to different forms and sizes based on their interaction with the wind....
s and cliff
Cliff

In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them....
tops. It is often included in wild-flower seed mixes used to landscape motorway
Motorway

Motorway is a term for both a type of road and a classification or designation. Motorways are high capacity roads designed to carry fast motor traffic safely....
 banks and similar civil engineering earth-works where it may be seen in dense stands.

It may be confused with the closely related Primula elatior
Primula elatior

Primula elatior, the oxlip , is a flowering plant in the genus Primula, found in nutient- and calcium-rich damp woods and meadows throughout Europe eastwards to Altai Mountains and as far north as Scandinavian Mountains in northern Norway and on the Kola Peninsula in Russia....
 (oxlip) which has a similar general appearance although the oxlip has larger, pale yellow flowers more like a primrose, and a corolla tube without folds.

Cowslip is a favourite food of wild rabbit
European Rabbit

The European Rabbit is a species of rabbit native to south west Europe . It has been widely introduced elsewhere often with devastating effects on local biodiversity....
s.

Folklore, herbalism, and cultural references

It is used medicinally as a diuretic
Diuretic

A diuretic is any drug that elevates the rate of urination and thus provides a means of forced diuresis. There are several categories of diuretics....
, an expectorant, and an antispasmodic
Antispasmodic

An antispasmodic is a medication or an herb that suppresses spasms. These are usually caused by smooth muscle contraction, especially in tubular organs....
, as well as for the treatment of headache
Headache

In medicine a headache or wiktionary:cephalalgia is a symptom of a number of different conditions of the head and sometimes neck. Some of the causes are benign while others are medical emergencies....
s, whooping cough, tremor
Tremor

Tremor is an unintentional, somewhat rhythmic, muscle movement involving to-and-fro movements of one or more body parts. It is the most common of all involuntary movements and can affect the hands, arms, head, face, vocal cords, trunk, and legs....
s, and other conditions. However it can have irritant effects in people who are allergic
Allergy

Allergy is a Disorder of the immune system often also referred to as atopy. Allergic reactions occur to Natural environmental substances known as allergens; these reactions are Acquired disorder, predictable and rapid....
 to it

Cowslips were made into wine
Wine

Wine is an alcoholic beverage often made of fermentation grape juice. The natural chemical balance of grapes is such that they can ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes or other nutrients....
, and also to flavour conventional wines.

An ancient name for the plant is "paigle" (origin unknown). Another name, herb Peter, derives from the tale of St. Peter dropping the keys to the Gates of Heaven
Gates of Heaven

Gates of Heaven is a 1978 documentary film by Errol Morris about the pet cemetery business. It was made when Morris was unknown and did much to launch his career....
, with the cowslip springing from the spot.

In the nineteenth century, cowslips were used as a garland
Garland

Garland, which in French originally denoted "wreath of flowers", may refer to:* Garland , a class of decoration, of which there are many types...
 on maypoles.

The cowslip is the county flower of four counties in England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
, these are Essex
Essex

Essex is a counties of England in the East of England England. The county town is Chelmsford, and the highest point of the county is Chrishall Common near the village of Langley, Essex, close to the Hertfordshire border, which reaches ....
, Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire

Northamptonshire is a landlocked Counties of England in the England East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the United Kingdom Census 2001....
, Surrey
Surrey

Surrey is a counties of England in the South East England of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire, and Berkshire....
, and Worcestershire
Worcestershire

Worcestershire is a county located in the West Midlands of central England. From 1974 to 1998 it was administered as part of Hereford and Worcester....
.

Norwegian poet John Paulsen wrote a poem entitled "Med en primula veris" ("With a primula veris"), later popularized by famous composer Edvard Grieg
Edvard Grieg

Edvard Grieg was a Norway composer and pianist who composed in the Romantic period. He is best known for his Piano Concerto , for his incidental music to Henrik Ibsen's Play Peer Gynt , and for his collection of piano miniatures Lyric Pieces....
 through a song in his opus 26.

Cuisine

Cowslip leaves have been traditionally used in Spanish
Spain

Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
 cooking as a salad green. Uses in English
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
 cookery includes using the flowers to flavour country wine and vinegars; sugared to be a sweet or eaten as part of a composed salad while the juice of the cowslip is used to prepare tansy
Tansy

Tansy is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant of the Asteraceae family that is native to temperate Europe and Asia. It has been introduced to other parts of the world and in some cases has become invasive....
 for frying. The close cousin of the cowslip, the primrose
Primrose

Primrose may refer to:...
 (P. vulgaris), has often been confused with the cowslip and its uses in cuisine are similar with the addition of its flowers being used as a colouring agent in desserts.

External references

  • Accessed 8 May 2007
  • Accessed 8 May 2007