TUSSILAGO PeTASITES, BUTTERBUR. 



TUSSILAGO Lin. Gen. PL Syngenesia Pol yg ami a Superflua. 



Recept. nudum. Pappus fimplex. CaL fquamae asquales, difcum gequantes, 

 fubmembranaceae, 

 RaiiSyn.Gen.^. Herb m flore composito, seminepapposonon lactescentes flore 



DISCOIDE. 



TUSSILAGO Petafies Thyrfo ovato, flofculis omnibus hermaphroditis. Lin, Sp. PL p. 1215. 



FL Suecic. n. 746. 

 PETASITES fioribus denfe fpicatis, flofculis androgynis. Batter hij. n. 143. 

 TUSSILAGO Petafites. Scopoli FL Cam. n. 1058. 

 PETASITES major et vulgaris. Bauh. p. 197. 

 PETASITES Gerard emac. 814. 

 PETASITES vulgaris. Parkin/on. 419. Raii Syn. p. 179, Butterbur, Peftilent-wort. 



Budfon. FL Angl. 351. ed. 2. 364. 



Lightfioot. FL Scot. 477. 



RADIX perennis, repens, albida, craffitie digiti, mul- 

 to etiam major in adultis plantis, horizontalis, 

 fibras plurimas praelongas dimittens, verfus 

 apicem fenfim incraflatas. 



PETIOLI radicales, teretiufculi, ftriati, villofi, cana- 

 liculati, ball vaginati, purpurafcentes. 



FOLIA cordata, rotundata, margine inaequaliter den- 

 tata, denticulis rufis, inferne fubtomentofa, 

 deflorata planta increfcentia, tandem ampliffi- 

 ma. 



SCAPUS radicalis, fpithamaeus, teres, fiffulofus, albi- 

 dus, tomentofus, adfperfus fquamis lanceolatis, 

 purpurafcentibus, nervofis, inferioribus folio- 

 lo crenulato terminatis. 



THYRSUS primum ovatus, dein oblongus, demum 

 fubconicus, pedunculis imifloris, bra&aeatis. 



BRACTEiE ad bafin pedunculorum lanceolatae, apice 

 purpurafcentes, delicatulae, longitudine pe- 

 dunculi, Jig. 1. 



CALYX communis, turbinates, laevis, fquamis fub- 

 asqualibus, lanceolatis, apice fubincurvatis, 



fig- 2 - 



COROLLA compofita; coro/Z^omnes hermaphroditic, 

 tubulofae, propria pallide purpurea, infundi- 

 buliformis, tubo filiformi, elongato, limbo 

 campanulato, quinquefido, laciniis reflexis, 



fig- 3- 



ANTHERS purpureas, in tubum coalitae, fig. 4. | 



PISTILLUM: Germen teres, nudum: Stylus albi- y 

 dus, antheris longior : Stigma craffum, al- | 

 bum, bifidum, Jig. 5. | 



SEMINA oblonga, marcida, nigricantia, fterilia, pap- •$ 

 po fimplici coronata, fig. 6. f 



RECEPTACULUM nudum. I 



ROOT perennial, creeping, whitifh, the thicknefs of 

 ones finger, or much larger in full grown 

 plants, running horizontally, and fending 

 down numerous long fibres, which grow 

 thicker towards the extremity. 



LEAF-STALKS proceeding from the root, roundifh, 

 ftriated, villous, hollow on the inride, form- 

 ing a fheath at bottom, and purpiifh. 



LEAVES heart-fhaped, rounded, the edge unequally 

 indented, the teeth reddifh, underneath fome- 

 what woolly, growing very large after the 

 plant has flowered. 



SCAPUS proceeding from the root, about feven inches 

 high, round, hollow, whitiih, woolly, co- 

 vered _ with lanceolate fcales or leaves of a 

 purpiifh _ colour, ribbed, the lower ones of- 

 ten terminating in a fmall notched leaf. 



THYRSUS firft oval, then oblong, laftly nearly coni- 

 cal : the flower-ltalks fupporting one flower 

 each, and furniihed with floral-leaves, 



FLORAL-LEAVES at the bafe of the flower-ltalks 

 lanceolate, purpiifh at top, delicate, and the 

 r length of the flower-ftalk, Jig. 1. 



CALYX common to many florets, broad at top, and 

 fmall at bottom, fmooth, the fcales or leaves 

 nearly equal, lanceolate, and bending in fome- 

 what at top, fig. 2. 



COROLLA compofed of many florets, all of which 

 are hermaphrodite and tubular, of a pale 

 purple colour, and funnel-fliaped ; the tube 

 long and flender ; the brim bell-fhaped, divi- 

 ded into five fegments, which are turned back, 



fig- 3- 

 ANTHERiE purple, united into a tube, fig. 4. 

 PISTILLUM: Germen round and naked: Style 



whitifh, longer than the Stamina : Stigma 



thick, white, and bifid, fig. 5. 

 SEEDS oblong, withered, blackifh, fterile, crowned 



with fimple down, fig. 6. 

 RECEPTACLE naked. 



THE Butterbur though differing widely from the Coltsfoot in the appearance of its bloom, yet agrees with it in 

 many particulars ; the root efpecially, poffeffes the fame power of increafing the plant, by creeping under the 

 earth to a very great diftance ; hence when once introduced into a garden, it is fcarce to be rooted out, efpecially 

 if the foil be a moift one. Was it not for this pernicious effect, the beautiful mode of its flowering, joined to its 

 early appearance, would entitle it to a place in the gardens of the curious. 



The bloflbms, like thofe of the Coltsfioot, make their appearance before the leaves. If the fpring be mild 

 the fpike will be formed by the middle of March ; but April is the month in which it oftener blows. 



It does not, like the Coltsfioot, expand its pappus or down, but the flowers change to a dirty brown colour; 

 and the feeds on examination, appear altogether barren. It appears difficult to account for the caufe of this fterility, 

 as the parts of the frudtification feem evidently perfect. 



This lofs is however amply fupplied in another way, as will be evident from the following experiment. 



April the iff.. 1778, I planted in my garden apiece of the Butterbur root, two inches long, the thicknefs of the 

 little finger, with a tuft of leaves to it. November the 3d. 1779, this root with its increafe, was duo- up, many 

 of the fhoots had extended themfelves to the diftance of fix feet, and penetrated two feet in depth ; the whole 

 wafhed from the furrounding dirt, weighed eight pounds. 



A very ingenious Swedifn botanift informed me, that theearly appearance of this plant, induced the rural oecono- 

 mifl in Sweden, to plant it near their bees, who refort much to its bloflbms. The above experiment mews that this 

 cuff om fhould be adopted with caution, fince where this plant abounds, the ground is ib fhaded with its ample 

 leaves, as to produce few others. 



The foil in which it flourifhes molt is a moift one, hence it is moft commonly found on the banks of rivers and 

 ffreams. Near London it grows on the north fide of the River Thames, betwixt Wefiminjler Bridge and ChelJea. 



Formerly it was a medicine of great repute in pert ilential and other fevers ; but in the modern practice it is but 

 little regarded. 



