COLTSFOOT 1 01 



save the Sallow, are in bloom. The plant is monoecious. In the ray 

 the florets are female (hence the fully-developed achenes at a later 

 stage only in the ray). The disk florets are male. Both disk and ray 

 florets are golden-yellow, and there is little to distinguish them at first 

 sight, but those in the ray are ligulate, those in the disk bell-shaped. 

 In the ray florets, which are numerous, over 300, there is a pollen 

 brush which is not of any use in female florets, and it may be that 

 there were originally male florets also, but this provision is not usual in 

 female florets in this order. The disk florets are much fewer, about 

 40 in number, and alone contain the honey. The flowerheads close at 

 night, and when there is rain, as a protection for the honey and pollen. 

 When the ray florets have been visited and pollinated they do not 

 wither as is usual at once, but remain fresh till the anthers have opened 

 some days after. Insect visitors are numerous. The disk florets retain 

 a rudimentary pistil. In the ordinary course the flowers are cross- 

 pollinated, the proterogynous flowerheads ensuring this. 



Self-pollination without insects is impossible. The flowers are 

 visited by the Honey Bee, Andrena, Hal^ct^ls, Diptera (JSombylius 

 major, Eristalis tenax], Coleoptera (Meligefkes). 



The plant is provided with white silky pappus to aid the fruit in 

 dispersal by the wind. 



Coltsfoot is a clay-loving plant, being confined to a clay soil. 



The leaves on the upper side are covered with a large " cluster- 

 cup " fungus, Coleosporium sonchi, which is a beautiful object under the 

 lens. The stomata lie below covered with felted down, which is 

 greyish-white. 



A Hymenopterous insect, Mellimis sabulosits, Lepidoptera, Glaucous 

 Shears (Hadena glaitca), Halonota brunichiana, Scopula lutcalis, Ptero- 

 phorus trigonodactylus, are to be met with on this food plant. 



Tussilago, Pliny, is from tussis, a cough, with reference to its 

 use in curing coughs. Farfara, Pliny, is a Latin name for the 

 plant. 



The name Colt's-foot is given because of the shape of the leaf. It 

 is called Ass's-foot, Bull-foot, Clatter-clogs, Clayt, Clayweed, Cleats, 

 Clot, Colt-herb, Colt's-foot, Coughwort, Cout-fit, Cow-heave, Dishalaga, 

 Dove-dock, Dummy Weed, Foalfoot, Foilefoot, Tushylucky Cowan, 

 Hog- weed, Hoofs, Horse -hoof, Horse-hove, Son-before-the- Father, 

 Sow F'oot, Tushalan. The name Son-before-the- Father is the name 

 given because the flowers appear before the leaves. Wine made from 

 it is called Clayt wine, and beer made from it Cleats, and these with 

 the name Clayweed refer to its clay habitat. Colt's-foot, Cow-heave 



