[3] The plant, when raw, has a very bitter taste, causing numbness, burning and irritation of the mucous membranes of the lips and mouth.

[6] T. pusilla has been used in the traditional medicine of Scotland to treat a variety of ailments, including skin conditions, respiratory problems, and digestive issues.

In Scotland, the plant had the alternative common name "King's Knot" and was believed in folk tradition to have apotropaic powers.

For this reason, it was often deliberately planted near homes and farms to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck.

[7] Zomlefer, in her 1997 paper on the Tofieldiaceae, lists the following compounds as being present in plants belonging to the family: calcium oxalate (in the form of druses and cuboidal (prismatic) crystals), chelidonic acid, tannins, saponins, and the flavonoids kaempferol and quercetin.