Petasites frigidus

Petasites frigidus (Arctic Butterbur or Arctic Sweet Coltsfoot; syn. P. speciosa) is a species of Petasites native to Arctic to cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in northern Europe, northern Asia and northern North America.

It is a herbaceous perennial plant producing flowering stems in early spring, and large leaves through the summer. The upright flowering stems are 10-20 cm tall, and bear only 5-12 inflorescences, yellowish-white to pink in colour. The leaves are rounded, 15-20 cm broad, with a deeply cleft base and shallowly lobed margin, and rise directly from the underground rootstock. The underside of the leaves is covered with matted, woolly, fuzz. It grows in moist shaded ground, preferring stream banks and seeping ground of cut-banks.

Petasites speciosa is treated as a distinct species by some authors, but Hitchcock & Cronquist (1955) synonymise it with P. frigidus.^[1]

While there is some disagreement, some sources identify five varieties of P. frigidus:

• P. frigidus var. frigidus
• P. frigidus var. nivalis, sometimes referred to as P. nivalis or P. hyperboreus. This variety is common at subalpine and alpine elevations.^[2]
• P. frigidus var. palmatus, sometimes referred to as P. palmatus, Palmate Coltsfoot, or Western Coltsfoot.
• P. frigidus var. sagittatus, arrowleaf sweet coltsfoot.
• P. frigidus var. vitifolius^[3][4]

Uses

The leaf stalks and flower stems (with flowers) are edible, and can be used as a vegetable dish. A salt-substitute can also be made by drying and then burning the leaves. This black, powdery substance will provide a salty taste.

References

• Germplasm Resources Information Network: Petasites frigidus

External links

Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Petasites_frigidus Petasites frigidus] at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Petasites frigidus at Wikispecies