The genus name is to honor Lysimachus, a king of ancient Sicily. According to tradition, he was being chased by a maddened bull and in desperation seized a European plant of this genus and waved it before the bull, pacifying him-- “loosing him from his strife.” Because of this legend, colonial farmers would feed this and related plants to their oxen, believing it would calm them down. There is no scientific evidence, however, that this plant contains any bovine tranquilizer.