Appearance
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.
Naming
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.
⤷ ''Petasites frigidus'' var. ''palmatus'', sometimes referred to as ''P. palmatus'', palmate coltsfoot, or western coltsfoot; mâl-ē-mē’ ; or tä-tä-tē’; pē’-wē is the root.
⤷ ''Petasites frigidus'' var. ''sagittatus'', arrowleaf sweet coltsfoot.
⤷ ''Petasites frigidus'' var. ''vitifolius''
Uses
The leaf stalks and flower stems 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. However, given the high likelihood of the presence of toxic unsaturated, diester pyrrolizidine alkaloids in this species, consumption should be very limited.References:
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