Cowslip
Cowslip, the name given to several flowering plants. The common cowslip grown in the garden is a member of the primrose family. It grows to a height of eight inches (20 cm) and has wrinkled, blunt leaves up to four inches (10 cm) long. The fragrant flowers bloom in a cluster at the end of a stalk. They are yellow with orange centers. Cowslips were formerly grown in herb gardens for the leaves, which were used in salads or cooked, and the flowers, which were used to make a narcotic tea.
The American cowslip, also called shooting star and bird bill, has hanging red or white flowers with petals that are turned backward. The Virginia cowslip, also called lungwort and Virginia bluebell, is a common wildflower of eastern North America. Its purplish-blue or light blue flowers are shaped somewhat like trumpets. Another plant commonly referred to as a cowslip is also known as the marsh marigold. It grows in swamps and has shiny yellow flowers and heart- or kidney-shaped leaves.
The common cowslip, Primula veris, and the American cowslips, which make up the genus Dodecatheon, belong to the primrose family, Primulaceae. The Virginia cowslip is Mertensia virginica of the borage family, Boraginaceae. The marsh marigold is Caltha palustris of the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae.