''Trollius'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

of about 30

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. They include all forbs (flowering plants without a woody stem), grasses and grass-like plants, a vast majority of ...

s closely related to ''

Ranunculus ''Ranunculus'' is a large genus of about almost 1700 to more than 1800 species of flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae. Members of the genus are known as buttercups, spearworts and water crowfoots. The genus is distributed in Europe, ...

'', in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Ranunculaceae. The

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contra ...

of some species is globeflower or globe flower. The generic name is derived from the Swiss-German word "Trollblume", meaning a rounded flower. Native to the cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with the greatest diversity of species in Asia, ''Trollius'' usually grow in heavy, wet clay soils.

Description

They are mostly

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition ...

, fibrous rooted

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

s 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.

Ecology

All species of ''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 The silver-ground carpet (''Xanthorhoe montanata'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775. It is common throughout the Palearctic region (from Ireland to the Russ ...

Cultivation

Some species are popular ornamental flowers in

horticulture Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...

, with several

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

s selected for large and brightly coloured flowers. The hybrid ''T.'' × ''cultorum'' in particular is a source of several garden cultivars, including 'Superbus', which has gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (No ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

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

Ranunculaceae genera {{Ranunculales-stub