Tussilago Petasites. Butterbur. 
TUSSILAGO Lin. Gen. PI. Syngenesia Polyoamia Supeeelua. 
Recept. nudum. Pappus (implex. Cal. fquama: aquales, dlfcum mquantes, 
fubmembranace®. 
RaiiSyti.Gen.j. Herba: flore composito, semine papposo non lactescentes flore 
DISCOIDE. 
TUSSILAGO Pelajites Thyrfo ovato, flofclilis omnibus hermaphroditis. Lin. Sp, PI, p. 1215. 
FI. Suecic. n. 746. 
PETASITES floribus denfe fpicatis, flofculis androgynis. Haller hijt. n. 143- 
TUSSILAGO Petajites. Scopoli FI. Cam. n. 1058. 
PETASITES major et vulgaris. Batth. p. 197. 
PETASITES Gerard etnac. 814. 
PETASITES vulgaris. Parkinfon. 419- S )’ n - P- * 79 » Butterbur, Peftileiit-wort. 
Hudfon. FI. Angl. 3 51. ed. 2. 36 4. 
Lightfoot. FI. Scot. 4 77 " 
RADIX perennis, repens, albida, craflitie digiti, mul- 
to etiam major in adultis plantis, horizontalis, 
fibras plurimas praelongas dimittens, verfus 
apicem fenfim incraflatas. 
PETIOLI radicales, teretiufculi, ftriati, villofi, cana- 
liculati, bafi vaginati, purpurafcentes. 
FOLIA cordata, rotundata, margine inaequaliter den- 
tata, denticulis rufis, inferne fubtomentofa, 
deflorata planta increfcentia, tandem amplifli- 
ma. 
SCAPUS radicalis, fpithamaeus, teres, fiftulofus, albi- 
dus, tomentofus, adfperfus fquamis lanceolatis, 
purpurafcentibus, nervofis, inferioribus folio- 
lo crenulato terminatis. 
THYRSUS primum ovatus, dein oblongus, demum 
fubconicus, pedunculis unifloris, braftaeatis. 
BRACTEAE ad bafin pedunculorum lanceolatae, apice 
purpurafcentes, delicatulae, longitudine pe- 
dunculi, jig. 1. 
CALYX communis, turbinatus, laevis, fquamis fub- 
aequalibus, lanceolatis, apice fubincurvatis, 
fig- 2 ' 
COROLLA compofita; corollultr omnes hermaphroditae, 
tubulofae, propria pallide purpurea, infundi- 
buliformis, tubo filiformi, elongato, limbo 
campanulato, quinquefido, laciniis reflexis, 
fig' 3 • 
ANTHERiE purpures, in tubum coalitae, jig. 4. 
PISTILLUM: Germen teres, nudum: Stylus albi- 
dus, antheris longior : Stigma craflum, al- 
bum, bifidum, jig. 5. 
SEMINA oblonga, marcida, nigricantia, flerilia, pap- 
po fimplici coronata, jig. 6. 
RECEPTACULUM nudum. 
¥ ROOT perennial, creeping, whitifh, the thicknefs of 
I ones finger, or much larger in full grown 
* plants, running horizontally, and fending 
I down numerous long fibres, which grow 
£ thicker towards the extremity. 
? LEAF-STALKS proceeding from the root, roundifh, 
I floated, villous, hollow on the infide, form- 
% ing a fheath at bottom, and purplifh. 
I LEAVES heart-fhaped, rounded, the edge unequally 
I indented, the teeth reddifh, underneath fome- 
? what woolly, growing very large after the 
I plant has flowered. 
y SCAPUS proceeding from the root, about feven inches 
high, rounch hollow, whitifh, woolly, co- 
I vered with lanceolate fcales or leaves of a 
purplifh colour, ribbed, the lower ones of- 
| ten terminating in a fmall notched leaf, 
f: THYRSUS firfl oval, then oblong, laflly nearly coni- 
| cal : the flower-flalks fupporting one flower 
I each, and furnifhed with floral-leaves. 
t FLORAL-LEAVES at the bafe of the flower-flalks 
I lanceolate, purplifh at top, delicate, and the 
¥ ^ length of the flower-flalk, jig. 1 . 
I 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, jig. 2. 
4 COROLLA compofed of many florets, all of which 
I are hermaphrodite and tubular, of a pale 
I purple colour, and funnel-fhaped ; the tube 
t long and flender ; the brim bell-fhaped, divi- 
| ded into five fegments, which are turned back, 
$ fig- 3 - 
I ANTHERiE purple, united into a tube, jig. 4. 
I PISTILLUM: Germen round and naked: Style 
whitifh, longer than the Stamina : Stigma 
I thick, white, and bifid, fig. 5. 
I SEEDS oblong, withered, blackifh, flerile, crowned 
with Ample down, fig. 6. 
I 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, poflefles 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 moifl 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 blofloms, like thofe of the Coltsfoot, make their appearance before the leaves. If the fprino- 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 Coltsfoot, 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 flerility* 
as the parts of the fructification l'eem evidently perfeCl. 
This lofs is however amply Applied in another way, as will be evident from the followino- experiment 
April the iff. 1778, I planted in my garden a piece 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 increaie, was dug up many 
of the (hoots had extended themfelves to the diftance of lix feet, and penetrated two feet in depth ; the whol 
walhed from the furrounding dirt, weighed eight pounds. 
A very ingenious Swedilh botanift informed me, that the early appearance of this plant, induced the rural oecon 
mill in Sweden, to plant it near their bees, who refort much to its blofloms. The above experiment ffievvs that tu" 
cuftom Ihould be adopted with caution, fince where this plant abounds, the ground is lo (haded with its a ] S 
leaves, as to produce few others. ‘ P e 
The foil in which it flourilhes moft is a moift one, hence it is rnoft commonly found on {he banks of river d 
ftreams. Near London it grows on the north fide of the River Thames, betwixt iVefiminfier Bride e and ChclJ? ^ 
Formerly it was a medicine of great repute in peftilential and othei fevers ; but in the modern practice it i/l- 
litflp. retrarded. * s 
