Coltsfoot never gets 18" here. I'd say six or 7" is a tall stem here.
In fact until a few "year" ago I never realized that that leaf was coltsfoot because I always noticed it before the leaves came out and then never paid attention to it once the bloom was gone.
Also I thought the warning you were alluding to was that the young flowers are carcinogenic and hepatotoxic.
The main use I always heard for it was respiratory but the negatives always scared me off from using it.
Me as well. In fact, I forgot that the plant is edible. I guess, because of the negatives, I dismissed the edible characteristics.
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Actually, first I guess it should be said,
"THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR DETERMINING THE SAFETY AND SUITABILITY OF USING ANY WILD PLANT FOR FOOD OR MEDICINE, IS YOURS! IN OTHER WORDS, YOU TRY IT, YOU GET SICK - YOUR FAULT!!!! And just because some other person can use a particular plant with complete safety, doesn't mean you can. You may be hypersensitive to a particular plant and you don't know, because you've never tried it before.
Forage safely and wisely!
Now onto the Coltsfoot warnings (here's a few):
"Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) - Tyler (1987) considers leaves and flower heads unsafe for use as a demulcent and against coughs;
may contain liver-damaging pyrrolizidine alkaloids (Bergner 1989). Rated relatively safe by Duke (1985)" (Common Poisonous Plants and Mushrooms of North America, Nancy J. Turner/Adam F. Szczawinski, Timber Press, 2001, ISBN# 0-88192-312-5 page 277)
"The yellow flower heads which appear before the leaves in early spring, are very good raw in salads. Their peduncle is juicy, sweet and aromatic, and tastes even better than the flowers themselves. They are delicious simply sauteed in butter.
Coltsfoot flowers contain mucilage and a yellow coloring matter (xanthophyll).
The leaves are edible as well. When very young they can be eaten raw, especially the petiole which is juicy and pleasant tasting. The whitish down covering them can be removed, after which they are chopped up and added to salads.
When they get older, the rubbery leaves are better cooked. They make excellent fritters. In order to be used as a vegetable, they require long cooking and should preferably be boiled in a change of water.
Ashes made from the leaves can be used as a salt substitute. They are dried and burned in a dish so that the impalpable ashes can be easily gathered.
Coltsfoot leaves contain mucilage, a resin, tannin, an essential oil, inulin, vitamin C, minerals and an antibiotic substance.
The plant also contains pyrrolizidin alkaloids, which have a detrimental effect upon the liver. It should therefore only be eaten in moderation.
Leaves and flowers are emollient, demulcent and expectorant.
Coltsfoot has been used medicinally in Europe since Antiquity.
It has recently been banned in several European countries due to its alkaloid content.
The leaves dye wool yellowish green with alum and green with ferrous sulfate."
(The Encyclopedia of Edible Plants of North America, François Couplan, Keats, 1998, ISBN# 0-87983-821-3 pages 454-455)
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However, coltsfoot also contains toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which cause liver toxicity. Because these alkaloids are easily extracted in hot water, a tea made from the fresh plant would presumably contain them.
Another compound found in coltsfoot mucilage is tussilagone, a sesquiterpene that has been reported to be a potent cardiovascular and respiratory stimulator...........................Given the risk of exposure to pyrrolizidine alkaloids from prolonged use of coltsfoot, people suffering from throat irritations and asthma should consider alternative herbal remedies...." (Edible & Medicinal Plants of Canada,- MacKinnon / Kershaw, Lone Pine, 2009, ISBN# 978-1-55105-572-59-6 page 364)
Well, I think you get the idea.
Doc
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