Trollius
{{Short description|Genus of flowering plants in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| image = Trollius europaeus 020503.jpg
| image_caption = Trollius europaeus
| display_parents = 2
| taxon = Trollius
| authority = L.
|subdivision = About 30, including:
| synonyms =
- Ranunculastrum Heist. ex Fabr.
- Gaissenia Raf.
- Hegemone Bunge ex Ledeb.
}}
Trollius is a genus of about 30 species of flowering plants closely related to Ranunculus, in the family Ranunculaceae. The common name of some species is globeflower{{PLANTS|id=TROLL|taxon=Trollius|accessdate=12 December 2015}} or globe flower. The generic name is derived from the Swiss-German word "Trollblume", meaning a rounded flower.Gledhill D. 1985. The Names of Plants. Cambridge University Press. {{ISBN|0521366755}} Native to the cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with the greatest diversity of species in Asia, species of the genus Trollius usually grow in heavy, wet clay soils.{{cite web |url=http://novataxa.blogspot.com/2019/01/trollius-austrosibiricus.html|title=A New Species from South Siberia|date=30 January 2019 |publisher=Novataxa |accessdate=11 February 2019}}
Description
Species of the genus Trollius are mostly herbaceous, fibrous rooted perennials with bright yellow, orange or lilac coloured flowers. The name "globe flower" refers to the petals of T. europaeus and T. × cultorum which are curved over the top of the flower, forming a globe. But T. pumilus has flatter flowers, and T. chinensis has open flowers with prominent stamens.{{cite book|title=RHS A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants|year=2008|publisher=Dorling Kindersley|location=United Kingdom|isbn=978-1405332965|pages=1136}}
Ecology
All species of the genus Trollius are poisonous to cattle and other livestock when fresh, but their acrid taste means they are usually left uneaten. They are, however, used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including silver-ground carpet.
Cultivation
Some species of the genus Trollius are popular ornamental flowers in horticulture, with several cultivars selected for large and brightly coloured flowers. The hybrid T. × cultorum{{cite web|title=Missouri Botanical Garden|url=http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/plant-finder/plant-details/kc/b716/trollius-x-cultorum.aspx|accessdate=27 April 2013}} in particular is a source of several garden cultivars, including 'Superbus', which has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.{{cite web|title=RHS Plant Selector - Trollius × cultorum 'Superbus'|url=http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=1952|accessdate=7 June 2013}}{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals.pdf | title = AGM Plants - Ornamental | date = July 2017 | page = 103 | publisher = Royal Horticultural Society | accessdate = 25 December 2018}}
Image gallery
Image:Globeflower Trollius laxus Flower 2400px.jpg|Trollius laxus
Image:Iceland_Plants_4898.JPG|Trollius species
Image:Жарки на юго-западе Бурятии.jpg|Trollius in the south-west of Buryatia, Russia
Image:Trollius asiaticus 03.jpg|Mountain Altai
Image:Trollius asiaticus 01.jpg|Mountain Altai
References
{{Commons}}
{{Reflist}}
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{{Ranunculaceae-stub}}