Coltsfoot

Tussilago farfara

"Tussilago farfara", commonly known as coltsfoot, is a plant in the groundsel tribe in the daisy family Asteraceae, native to Europe and parts of western and central Asia.
Coltsfoot - Tussilago farfara Habitat: Deciduous forest https://www.jungledragon.com/image/126395/coltsfoot_-_tussilago_farfara.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/126394/coltsfoot_-_tussilago_farfara.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/126392/coltsfoot_-_tussilago_farfara.html Coltsfoot,Geotagged,Spring,Tussilago farfara,United States

Appearance

Coltsfoot is a perennial herbaceous plant that spreads by seeds and rhizomes. "Tussilago" is often found in colonies of dozens of plants. The flowers, which superficially resemble dandelions, bear scale-leaves on the long stems in early spring. The leaves of coltsfoot, which appear after the flowers have set seed, wither and die in the early summer. The flower heads are of yellow florets with an outer row of bracts. The plant is typically 10–30 cm in height. The leaves have angular teeth on their margins.
Coltsfoot - Tussilago farfara A perennial, herbaceous plant whose flowers resemble a dandelion. Flowers bloom on leafless stems with the leaves appearing later. The genus name comes from the Latin word "tussis" (cough), which alludes to the plant's reputation as a treatment for coughs. The leaves and flowers of this plant are still used in herbal medicine as an expectorant. However, it has been found to contain traces of liver affecting pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which may be toxic in large doses. Habitat: Growing in a stream next to a bog. It's invasive and prohibited where I live in CT. I found this colony just over the border in New York. Coltsfoot,Geotagged,Spring,Tussilago farfara,United States

Naming

The common name comes from the leaf's supposed resemblance to a colt's foot. Other common names include tash plant, ass's foot, bull's foot, coughwort, farfara, foal's foot, foalswort, and horse foot. Sometimes it is confused with "Petasites frigidus", or western coltsfoot.

It has been called "bechion", "bechichie", or "bechie", from the Ancient Greek word for "cough". Also "ungula caballina", "pes pulli", and "chamæleuce".
Coltsfoot - Tussilago farfara Seen in Provinciedomein Kessel Lo in April 2015. Belgium,Coltsfoot,Geotagged,Spring,Tussilago farfara

Distribution

Coltsfoot is widespread across Europe, Asia, and North Africa, from Svalbard to Morocco to China and the Russian Far East. It is also a common plant in North and South America where it has been introduced, most likely by settlers as a medicinal item. The plant is often found in waste and disturbed places and along roadsides and paths. In some areas it is considered an invasive species.
Coltsfoot Water Reflection Bulgaria,Geotagged,Tussilago farfara,asteraceae,compositae,nature,plants,tussilago farfara,water reflection,yellow flower

Defense

"Tussilago farfara" contains tumorigenic pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Senecionine and senkirkine, present in coltsfoot, have the highest mutagenetic activity of any pyrrolozidine alkaloid, tested using "Drosophila melanogaster" to produce a comparative genotoxicity test.

Two cases of supposed liver damage due to coltsfoot tea have been shown to actually be the result of mistaken identity. In one, coltsfoot tea causing severe liver problems in an infant was actually the result of "Adenostyles alliariae". In another case, an infant developed liver disease and died because the mother drank tea originally believed to contain coltsfoot during her pregnancy, but which was later shown to be "Petasites hybridus" or a similar species. In one 27-year-old male, ingesting a multicomponent herbal supplement that included coltsfoot may have caused him to develop non-lethal deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.

In response, the German government banned the sale of coltsfoot. Clonal plants of coltsfoot free of pyrrolizidine alkaloids were then developed in Austria and Germany. This has resulted in the development of the registered variety "Tussilago farfara" 'Wien', which has no detectable levels of these alkaloids.
Coltsfoot - Tussilago farfara My first wildflower of the spring! A perennial, herbaceous plant whose flowers resemble a dandelion. Flowers bloom on leafless stems with the leaves appearing later. The genus name comes from the Latin word "tussis" (cough), which alludes to the plant's reputation as a treatment for coughs. The leaves and flowers of this plant are still used in herbal medicine as an expectorant. However, it has been found to contain traces of liver affecting pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which may be toxic in large doses. Habitat: Growing in a stream next to a bog. It's invasive and prohibited where I live in CT. I found this colony just over the border in New York. https://www.jungledragon.com/image/76944/coltsfoot_-_tussilago_farfara.html Coltsfoot,Geotagged,Spring,Tussilago farfara,United States

Uses

Coltsfoot has been used in herbal medicine and has been consumed as a food product with some confectionery products, such as Coltsfoot Rock. "Tussilago farfara" leaves have been used in traditional Austrian medicine internally or externally for treatment of disorders of the respiratory tract, skin, locomotor system, viral infections, flu, colds, fever, rheumatism and gout. An extract of the fresh leaves has also been used to make cough drops and hard candy.

Coltsfoot is used as a food plant by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the Gothic and small angle shades. It is also visited by honeybees, providing pollen and nectar.

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