The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Cowslip
COWSLIP, a popular name for several
distinct species of plants, both American and
European. The English cowslip is Primula
officinalis, of the family Primulaceæ. It is a
stemless perennial herb with a rosette of oval
or oblong soft leaves, from among which arise
numerous scapes 6 to 10 inches tall and bearing
six or eight bright yellow, fragrant flowers in a
close umbel which leans to one side.  The plant
has long been a general favorite in gardens
were it usually receives little attention beyond
an occasional stirring of the soil to remove
weeds and the application of the usual winter
mulch of stable manure. Several improved
varieties have been produced in divers colors.
The plant most widely known in America as
cowslip is Caltha palustris, the marsh marigold,
a member of the family Ranunculaceæ. This
is a succulent perennial herb common in wet
ground from the Carolinas to the Arctic regions.
It has strong fibrous roots, hollow branching
stems one to two feet tall, heart-shaped or
kidney-shaped leaves and brilliant yellow flowers
resembling buttercup, by which name the plant
is sometimes called. It is often cultivated for
ornament in marshy ground and has developed
some improved double-flowered varieties. Its
leaves and young stems are often used as a
pot-herb in early spring. The American
cowslip or shooting-star is Dodecatheon meadia of
the family Primulaceæ. It is a stemless perennial
with fibrous roots, spatulate-oblong leaves
in a dense rosette from which the scape rises
to a height of 9 to 18 inches or more, bearing
at its summit several or many pendant pink,
white or lilac flowers with reflexed petals and
prominent anthers and pistils. Each flower

of the cluster resembles the solitary flowers of
cyclamen. Other species of the same genus are
also known by the name, and like it are planted in
hardy flower borders like the English cowslip.