Friday, March 15, 2019

Filius Ante Patrem

Tussilago farfara, Colt's Foot, Filius Ante Patrem Pittsburgh, PA 2019



A very early wildflower, Tussilago farfara, aka colt's foot, aka filius ante patrem ('the son before the father' because the plant flowers and dies back long before leaves appear). Once a very prominent medicinal herb, it is now known to contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids that have a mutagenic effect on DNA. Because of it's continued popularity in Germany and Belgium in particular, colt's foot is available commercially with the alkaloids removed.  I've never used colt's foot, and probably will continue to avoid it.

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