Petasites palmatus – palmate coltsfoot
Common Name
palmate coltsfoot
Family
Asteraceae
Scientific Name
Petasites palmatus
Alternate Scientific Name
- Petasites frigidus var. palmatus
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
- Medium (M)
- Wet (W)
Soil Nutrient Regime (SNR)
- Rich (R)
Video link
Source: Douglas, G.W. et al (Editors). 1998-2002. Illustrated Flora of British Columbia, Volumes 1 to 8. B.C. Min. Environ., Lands and Parks, and B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C. Copyright Province of British Columbia. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission of the Province of British Columbia.
Photo Gallery
General / Habitat
- Perennial herb
- Prefers moist forests, openings and swamps
- Low to middle elevations
Key Identifying Characteristics
- Form: 10-50 cm tall, many-stemmed, flowering stems appearing before leaves
- Leaves: Basal leaves heart-shaped and deeply divided into 5-7 toothed lobes, green and glabrous (without hair) above but white-wooly below, stem leaves reduced
- Flowers: Ray flowers white, disk flowers pinkish white, hairs at base of bracts, several borne in flat-topped cluster on white-wooly stalks
- Fruit: Seeds with hairy pappus for wind dispersal
Lookalikes
- Petasites japonicus (Japanese butterbur)
- an introduced species that has unlobed leaves
- Petasites frigidus var. nivalis (Sweet coltsfoot)
- has fewer, less deeply-cleft lobes which are untoothed
External References
Sources
Douglas, G.W. et al (Editors). 1998-2002. Illustrated Flora of British Columbia, Volumes 1 to 8. B.C. Min. Environ., Lands and Parks, and B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C.
Pojar, J. and A. MacKinnon. 2014. Plants of Coastal British Columbia Including Washington, Oregon & Alaska. B.C. Ministry of Forestry and Lone Pine Publishing. Vancouver, B.C.