Petasites frigidus, the Arctic sweet coltsfoot[2] or Arctic butterbur, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to Arctic to cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in northern Europe, northern Asia and northern North America.[3][2]

Petasites frigidus
Arctic sweet coltsfoot
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Genus:	Petasites
Species:	P. frigidus
Binomial name
Petasites frigidus (L.) Fr.
Synonyms[1]
Nardosmia angulosa Kuprian. Nardosmia angulosa Cass. Nardosmia arctica (A.E.Porsild) Á.Löve & D.Löve Nardosmia frigida (L.) Hook. Nardosmia nivalis (B.D.Greene) Jurtzev Nardosmia palmata (Aiton) Hook. Nardosmia sagittata (Banks ex Pursh) Hook. Nardosmia vitifolia (Greene) Á.Löve & D.Löve* P. alaskanus Rydb. Petasites arcticus A.E.Porsild Petasites corymbosus (R.Br.) Rydb. Petasites dentata Blank. Petasites gracilis Britton Petasites hookerianus (Nutt.) Rydb. Petasites hyperboreus Rydb. Petasites nivalis Greene Petasites palmatus (Aiton) A.Gray Petasites sagittatus (Banks ex Pursh) A.Gray Petasites speciosus (Nutt.) Piper Petasites trigonophylla Greene Petasites × vitifolius Greene Petasites warrenii H.St.John Tussilago palmata Aiton Tussilago frigida L. Tussilago sagittata Pursh

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.[4][5][6]

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

• Petasites frigidus var. frigidus
• Petasites frigidus var. nivalis, sometimes referred to as P. nivalis or P. hyperboreus. This variety is common at subalpine and alpine elevations.[7]
• Petasites frigidus var. palmatus, sometimes referred to as P. palmatus, palmate coltsfoot, or western coltsfoot; mâl-ē-mē’ (Konkow language);[8] or tä-tä-tē’;[9] pē’-wē is the root.[10]
• Petasites frigidus var. sagittatus, arrowleaf sweet coltsfoot.
• Petasites frigidus var. vitifolius[11][2]

Uses

The leaf stalks and flower stems (with flowers) are edible,[12] 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. However, given the high likelihood of the presence of toxic unsaturated, diester pyrrolizidine alkaloids in this species, consumption should be very limited.[13]

References

• Germplasm Resources Information Network: Petasites frigidus

External links

• Media related to Petasites frigidus at Wikimedia Commons
• Data related to Petasites frigidus at Wikispecies

На других языках

[fr] Petasites frigidus

[ru] Белокопытник холодный