Marsh Marigold a misnomer . 
     
    
   
   
    
     BY R.B. MacLAREN 
     
    
   
   
    
     Marsh Marigold (caltha palustris), sometimes called Cowslip, is fa 
     
     iliar to just about everyone who is interested in wild flowers. If ever a 
     
     plant was misnamed this one is. It doesn't resemble a Marigold in the 
     
     least and the name Cowslip is properly applied to an English wild flower 
     
     related to the primrose family. Marsh Marigold belongs to the same family 
     
     as the buttercup. Marsh Buttercup would 
     
     be a much more realistic name because of 
     
     its habitat, and the blossoms resemble 
     
     large, brilliant-yellow buttercups. 
     
    

    
     Marsh Marigold is common in P.E.I. 
     
     and is found mostly in swampy or marshy 
     
     areas, but it also grows in places where 
     
     one can walk without rubber footwear. Two 
     
     examples would be Wheatley River and Mill- 
     
     vale. Oddly enough, although Marsh Mari- 
     
     gold is common in P.E.I. it is rarely if 
     
     ever found in mainland Nova Scotia. How- 
     
     ever, it is no stranger to Cape Breton. 
     
    

    
     As a pot herb, Marsh Marigold is really 
     
     good. Although the raw leaves are acrid and 
     
     may even be poisonous, the poisonous princi-; 
     
     ple is expelled by boiling. To collect 
     
     leaves for cooking it is not necessary to 
     
     pull up the plant. With suitable footwear 
     
     one can collect the leaves easily. The dark 
     
     green leaves with the underlying yellow 
     
     pigment indicate that the plant is likel 
     
     high in the A and C vitamins. When suffi- 
     
     cient leaves have been gathered they should 
     
     be washed and then boiled in one or more 
     
     changes of water. The oftener the water is 
     
     changed, the milder the greens will be. 
     
     After this cook the greens in very little 
     
     water until they are tender. You may then 
     
     treat them as you would spinach. It is not 
     
     suggested that the greens will taste like 
     
     spinach but they do taste good and Marsh! 
     
     Marigold greens make a very acceptable substitute. The writer has used 
     
     them to his own satisfaction. 
     
    

    
     It is said that the small, tight buds of the Marsh Marigold can be 
     
     boiled in the same way as the leaves and then pickled. They can then be 
     
     used as capers. The writer doesn't like capers so has never tried the 
     
     Marigold buds! 
     
    

    
     In addition to its nutritive qualities, Marsh Marigold is credited 
     
     with medicinal values. The acrid juice applied to warts is supposed to 
     
     make them disappear.‘Howeven, since warts often disappear for no apparent 
     
     reason, the juice may not be a cure. It will, at least, do no harm. Folk 
     
     lore suggests that Marsh Marigold was useful in treating epilepsy. There 
     
     does not appear to be any medical evidence to support this belief. 
     
    

    
     In conclusion, it should be pointed out that Marsh Marigold is easily 
     
     transplanted if one has a suitable place to grow it. A swamp or stream 
     
     should be quite satisfactory. .