These plants were inaccessible growing in a shallow damp ditch surrounded by a wall on one side and a cement water trough on the other. It was impossible to take a photograph of the underside of the leaves. This is the reason why I have only one photograph, for which, I apologise. Many thanks in advance. Incidentally, I have never seen flowers on these plants!
It does look it. Petasites hybridus has some utility in medicine. PFAF has it listed as potentially having use in treating neuralgia. I worked for a neuro doc who suggested an herbal tablet of it for persistent migraine sufferers.
Thank you so much for the ID. , and for the medical information. Most interesting and I will investigate it further. I am involved in writing a book, together with my co-author, which deals with Official Medicinal Plants which can be found in the regional park where I live. This is why I need to be absolutely sure of the correct identification of all the plants listed in the book. We have completed about 75% of the book. This will be volume 1 and another 3 volumes are in the pipeline; vol 2 will be specific for poisonous plants, vol. 3 dedicated to wild food plants, volume 4 will be dedicated to the beautiful flowers found in our mountains. When the first volume is published I will send you a copy. I will contact you later for an address. Not being a botanist I need all the help I can get. Thanks again.
Then I definitely recommend looking at the Plant for a Future site I linked in the plant name. They are a second tier resource for me. Invaluable, but I do cross reference. Anytime I suspect there may have been a medicinal or utilitarian use for a plant, also edibility, I check PFAF. They are currently trying to expand into more tropical plants. It's one thing to read that the Cherokee used a plant a certain way, and Julia Morton (RIP) prepared it as food and Henrietta... well, I triple check everyone. So many variables... And everyone is an idiot some of the time.
Dear Mr. Tyrlych, I am now using PFAF as you suggested and I am still searching for other plant identification web sites. If you know of any others please do let me know. Thanks again.
Hi thanrose, I mistakenly thanked the wrong member for the PFAF information! Thanks should have gone to you. Thanks again. Any advise or suggestions will always be welcome.
I added a link to Flora Italiana (website) to the Plants Identification Resources page, though in another posting for ID, the map on that site did not show what seems to be the probable species as growing where it seems to have been found. I can't figure out the source of the website or who created it. It has a map and photos for each species listed.
Another important web site is Acta Plantarum, it gives far more information than the Flora Italiana. I believe that Flora Italiana uses information from Acta Plantarum web site.
Came across Henriette's site again in some wanderings by whim. Here I've linked her page of links and references. She's an herbalist in Norway. While I cast no aspersions on anyone so inclined, I find the academic rigor and science protocol lacking overall with many who claim proficiency in herbalism. I prefer the gentler path of personal experience and extensive research. What I was searching for is unimportant, but Henriette's reference on the plant was from 1898. Not something I could use as more than a suggestion for more research.
