Summary ⁴

Petasites frigidus (Arctic butterbur or Arctic sweet coltsfoot) is a species of Petasites native to Arctic to cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in northern Europe, northern Asia and northern North America.

Description ⁵

Plants 10–60(–120) cm. Rhizomes much branched, creeping, often forming long-lived, spreading clones. Basal leaves: blades mostly reniform, orbiculate-cordate, cordate, ovate, triangular, or sagittate, margins subentire to coarsely dentate to wavy, or shallowly to deeply pinnipalmately or palmately lobed, lobes obtuse to acute, often again lobed or toothed, abaxial faces densely white-tomentose to lanate, adaxial faces densely lanate or floccose, glabrescent, or glabrous. Staminate heads 2–53 (ray florets: 0 or 1–70, styliferous and sterile, corolla laminae 1.1–12 mm; disc florets 11–78, functionally staminate; style branches 0–2.3 mm, papillate or hairy). Pistillate heads 5–60 (ray florets 30–139, pistillate and fertile, corolla laminae 0.6–6.3 mm; disc florets 1–12, functionally staminate, style branches 0–2.3 mm, papillate or hairy). Phyllaries: staminate 3.6–12.8 × 1–4.4 mm, pistillate 1–9.5 × 0.7–3.3 mm, margins entire or serrate. Cypselae 1.7–3.5 mm; pappi (longest, pistillate heads) 7–17.3 mm.

Uses ⁶

The leaf stalks and flower stems (with flowers) are edible, and can be used as a vegetable dish. A salt-substitute can also be made by drying and then burning the leaves. This black, powdery substance will provide a salty taste.

National distribution ⁷

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

United States

Origin: Unknown/Undetermined

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

National nature serve conservation status ⁸

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: NNR - Unranked

Sources and Credits

1. (c) peardg, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://www.flickr.com/photos/14869875@N05/2542554297
2. (c) James Gaither, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/13892958@N07/3377909612
3. (c) David A. Hofmann, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/23326361@N04/3027953038/
4. Adapted by dlimandri from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petasites_frigidus
5. (c) Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/4957531
6. (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petasites_frigidus
7. (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/14782377
8. (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/14782375

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• Calflora
• CalPhotos
• eFloras.org
• Flora of North America (beta)
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• Go Botany
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
• Jepson eFlora
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• OregonFlora.org
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• Tropicos
• USDA PLANTS database
• VASCAN by Canadensys
• World Flora Online

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