Butterbur
Scientific Name: Petasites hybridus (L.) Gaertn, Meyer et Seh.
Family: Asteraceae
MORPHOLOGY
Growth habit and size: Perennial, herbaceous plant with a large, fleshy, long, and branched rhizome from which the stem develops in the spring without leaves, which only appear at the end of the flowering. Height 15-120 cm.
Stem: Hollow and simple, erect, reddish, covered with scales of the same color.
Leaves: Supported by a long and sturdy grooved petiole, purplish in color; very large (up to 80 x 40 cm), kidney-shaped or rounded with a slightly and irregularly toothed margin, with the underside covered with a whitish down that disappears with age, leaving only the veins covered with glandular hairs.
Flowers: The polygamous flower heads are grouped in an elongated terminal raceme; the inflorescence is dense, cylindrical, and more elongated after flowering, pinkish-red in color, with bracts of the same color. The flowers are tubular, reddish; the female flower heads are larger than the male ones and are the largest of the genus. It blooms from February to May.
Fruits and seeds: The fruits are smooth achenes of 2-3 mm, furrowed, with a pappus of 10 mm white bristles.
DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT
It grows throughout Italy except Sardinia, from sea level to 1,700 m. It grows in humid places, along ditches, riverbanks, and cool shady meadows.
USE
It has antispasmodic and analgesic properties and acts as a tranquilizer and regulator of the neurovegetative system. In folk medicine, it is still sometimes used as a diuretic, diaphoretic, and to treat respiratory tract diseases. It was once used as a remedy against plague, cholera, epilepsy, and fevers in general. More recently, it has been recommended for insomnia, anxiety, asthma, hypertension, and arteriosclerosis due to its sedative properties. For external use, it is suitable in case of inflammation of the skin and mucous membranes of the mouth, in the treatment of varicose veins, hemorrhoids, and wounds that are difficult to heal. Fresh leaves are used in treating wounds. Before taking any plant-based product (medicinal or non-medicinal) for therapeutic or similar purposes, it is always advisable to consult a doctor.
INTERESTING FACTS
The whole plant emits a foul odor reminiscent of that of bedbugs.
Photo: freely licensed by Saxifraga and Ed Stikvoort and kindly provided by Claudio Farinati
