Popular names: fire lettuce, male flower, March flower, sand flower, tobacco grass, uncle’s leaves.
Parts Used: Leaves, rarely flowers.
Pharmacy name: coltsfoot leaves – Farfarae folium (formerly: Folia Farfarae), coltsfoot flowers – Farfarae flos (formerly: Flores Farfarae).
Botanical description. This perennial plant pleases us in early spring with its bright yellow inflorescences with a smell reminiscent of honey. Long before the leaves appear, the creeping rhizome throws out erect flower stalks with reddish scales and bright yellow inflorescences laid down in the fall. Only much later do petiolate leaves develop, round-heart-shaped, the size of a palm, slightly notched at the edges, with coarse denticles. The leaves are dark green above, and below, due to strong omission, white-local. Blooms from February to March (April). Coltsfoot prefers clay soils. It is most often found in wastelands, near brick factories, on gravelly places, along slopes and railway embankments, along the edges of fields and roadsides.
Collection and preparation. Inflorescences are collected in good weather, when the flowers are fully bloomed. They need to dry quickly to keep their appearance. However, much more than inflorescences, leaves are used for medicinal purposes. They are harvested in May-June, preferably young, half a palm in size and only clean, not soiled with earth; due to the presence of mucus, washing is impractical. Studies have shown that the leaves of those coltsfoot plants that grow in the sun are richer in components and better than the leaves growing in the shade. It is worth paying attention to this when collecting. Cut fresh leaves immediately after picking to speed up drying. Only quickly dried leaves are stored well.
active ingredients. The most important substances are plant mucus, tannins and bitterness, as well as flavonoids, which perfectly complement each other when acting on diseased lungs and bronchi. However, pyrrolizidine alkaloids also deserve mention. In flowers, they are practically absent.
Healing action and application.Coltsfoot is a valuable cough remedy, especially for whooping cough, also for mucous sputum. Tea from it can facilitate coughing, make more liquid viscous bronchial mucus, and therefore bring real relief to patients with chronic bronchitis, pneumoconiosis and emphysema. o Coltsfoot tea: 2 teaspoons topped with chopped leaves are poured into 1/4 liter of boiling water, allowed to infuse and then strained. Patients suffering from cough should drink 1 cup of tea 3 times every day. It is advisable (but not for diabetics!) to sweeten with honey. R.F. Weiss in his writings recommends that those suffering from chronic bronchitis, pneumoconiosis or emphysema drink a cup of this tea in the morning before getting out of bed, as this facilitates expectoration of sputum accumulated during the night. Along with its use against diseases of the lungs, coltsfoot tea brings relief from irritations of the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines (but then it should be drunk unsweetened), as well as rinsing for irritations in the mouth. The German National Health Service recommends tea from the leaves of the coltsfoot for inflammation of the mucous membrane in the mouth and throat, to alleviate dry cough with bronchial catarrhs. The duration of use of coltsfoot tea should be limited to a maximum of 6 weeks per year. Do not use during pregnancy and if your period is late! The German National Health Service recommends tea from the leaves of the coltsfoot for inflammation of the mucous membrane in the mouth and throat, to alleviate dry cough with bronchial catarrhs. The duration of use of coltsfoot tea should be limited to a maximum of 6 weeks per year. Do not use during pregnancy and if your period is late! The German National Health Service recommends tea from the leaves of the coltsfoot for inflammation of the mucous membrane in the mouth and throat, to alleviate dry cough with bronchial catarrhs. The duration of use of coltsfoot tea should be limited to a maximum of 6 weeks per year. Do not use during pregnancy and if your period is late!
Application in folk medicine. What has been said so far about the use of coltsfoot leaves is also valid for traditional medicine. However, here in the same honor and inflorescences. In addition, coltsfoot tea is also used to treat wounds and inflammation of the skin, for skin rashes and to purify the blood.
Side effects. According to recent studies, a negative effect on the liver is not excluded. With prolonged use, a carcinogenic effect is also likely.