What does pulsatilla mean?
Pulsatilla is chiefly the name of a genus of herbaceous perennial plants in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. Its best-known member, Pulsatilla vulgaris, is commonly called the pasqueflower and is recognized by its nodding, bell-shaped flowers, which may be violet, white, or reddish. Pulsatilla can also refer to preparations made from the roots of these plants, particularly in herbal traditions and homeopathy, although such uses should not be understood as evidence of medical effectiveness. The word is unusual because it serves both as a common noun for a recognizable wildflower and as the formal name of a botanical genus. In older classifications, Pulsatilla vulgaris was known as Anemone pulsatilla, which explains the continued appearance of that combined name in historical botanical literature. Its name is associated with Latin pulsare, meaning to beat or pulse, probably reflecting the plants’ nodding flower heads.
nounA flowering plant of the genus Pulsatilla, especially Pulsatilla vulgaris, commonly called the pasqueflower. The name can also refer to preparations made from the roots of plants in this genus.
- Botany: A plant of the genus Pulsatilla, commonly called a pasqueflower and belonging to the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae.
- Medicine and herbalism: A substance or remedy made from the roots of pulsatilla plants, especially Pulsatilla vulgaris.
"A patch of pulsatilla brightened the rock garden with violet, bell-shaped flowers."
"A patch of pulsatilla brightened the rock garden with violet, bell-shaped flowers."
"Under older botanical classifications, Pulsatilla vulgaris was called Anemone pulsatilla."
The common noun takes the plural pulsatillas when referring to multiple plants. The taxonomic genus name Pulsatilla is normally unchanged and refers to the group as a whole.
"Several pulsatillas flowered before the surrounding shrubs had developed new leaves."
A flower that follows the breeze: pulsatilla’s name echoes the Latin for beating or pulsing, referring to its nodding flower heads.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does pulsatilla come from?
Pulsatilla entered English through Medieval and New Latin, where it was associated with Latin pulsare, “to beat” or “pulse.” The botanical name refers to the nodding or moving flower heads characteristic of pasqueflowers. Its Latin connections are shared by words such as pulsate, pulsation, and pulsatile, all based on the same ancient root.
How pulsatilla is actually used
In botanical writing, Pulsatilla is normally capitalized and italicized as a genus name. As a medicinal substance, the term is especially associated with traditional herbal preparations and homeopathy; naming the remedy does not imply that it has demonstrated clinical effectiveness.
Easily confused with pulsatilla
Pulsatile describes something that beats or pulses rhythmically, especially blood vessels, whereas pulsatilla is a flowering plant or a preparation made from its roots.