Tussilago farfara - Colt's Foot

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Tussilago farfara, commonly known as coltsfoot, is a plant in the groundsel tribe in the daisy family Asteraceae, native to Europe and parts of western and central Asia. It has had uses in traditional medicine. The name "tussilago" is derived from the Latin tussis, meaning cough, and ago, meaning to cast or to act on. However, the discovery of toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids in the plant has resulted in liver health concerns.Tussilago farfara is the only accepted species in the genus Tussilago, although more than two dozen other species have at one time or another been considered part of this group.

Uses

asthma, laryngitis, bronchitis, whooping cough, eczema, Blotches, Pimples, Diarrhea, Sore throats

Parts Used

Flowers, Leaves.

Chemical Composition

Tussilagin, Sitosterol, Gallic, tartaric and malic acids, Tannins, Dextrin, Mucus, Mnulin, Flavonoids, Vitamin C

Common names

Language	Common name
Kannada
Hindi	Watpan
Malayalam
Tamil
Telugu
Marathi	NA
Gujarathi	NA
Punjabi	NA
Kashmiri	NA
Sanskrit
English	Colt's Foot, Coltsfoot

Habit

Perennial herbaceous plant

Identification

Leaf

Kind	Shape	Feature
Simple	alternate	There is one leaf per node along the stem and basal of the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant

Flower

Type	Size	Color and composition	Stamen	More information
Unisexual	2-4cm long	Yellow	5-20	the flower head has tubular disk flowers in the center and ray flowers, these often strap-shaped, around the periphery

Fruit

Type	Size	Mass	Appearance	Seeds	More information
	7–10 mm (0.28–0.4 in.) long pome	at least a part of the plume is made up of fine bristles	plume on fruit		{{{6}}}

Other features

List of Ayurvedic medicine in which the herb is used

• Vishatinduka Taila as root juice extract

Mode of Propagation

Seeds.

How to plant/cultivate

A very easily grown plant, it succeeds in most soils when grown in full sun

Commonly seen growing in areas

Woodland Garden Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade, Hedgerow.

Photo Gallery

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  Whole plant

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  Early habitus

External Links

• Tussilago farfara on nature gate

• Coltsfoot – Health Benefits and Side Effects
• Potential interest of Tussilago farfara (L.) whole plantof Lithuanian and French origin for essential oil extraction
• Volatile Oils of Flowers and Stems of Tussilago farfara L. from Lithuania