The generic name is derived from the Swiss-German word "Trollblume", meaning a rounded flower.

[2] 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.

[3] Species of the genus Trollius are mostly herbaceous, fibrous rooted perennials with bright yellow, orange or lilac coloured flowers.

[4] 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.