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Caltha palustris)
Marsh marigold (Caltha palustris) is a perennial herbaceous plant of wet places with large attractive yellow flowers borne in late spring. It is also known as kingcup, and May blobs. It is a member of the Ranunculaceae, the buttercup family. Its generic name Caltha derives from the Greek for a cup (calyx), describing the open flowers, while the specific name palustris, meaning in Latin "of a marsh", indicates its common habitat.
The common name of marigold refers to its use in Churches in medieval times at Easter time as a tribute to the Virgin Mary, as in Mary gold. In parts of the UK in the 19th century, the plant was called Mayblob, possibly derived from Mereblob or more likely from Marybud.
As is the case with many yellow-flowered members of the Ranunculaceae, many parts of the plant can be irritant or mildly poisonous. Skin rashes and dermatitis have been reported from excessive handling of Caltha.
Caltha palustris is a pest in clayey garden soils, where every piece of its root will survive and spread. The plant dies back with the first summer heat. In warm free-draining soils, Caltha simply dies away.
It is a plant commonly mentioned in literature, including Shakespeare:
- Winking Marybuds begin
- To open their golden eyes (Cymbeline, ii. 3).
