COLT'S-FOOT

colt's-foot, the popular name of a small herb, _tussilago farfara_, a member of the natural order compositae, which is common in britain in damp, heavy soils. it has a stout branching underground stem, which sends up in march and april scapes about 6 in. high, each bearing a head of bright yellow flowers, the male in the centre surrounded by a much larger number of female. the flowers are succeeded by the fruits, which bear a soft snow-white woolly pappus. the leaves, which appear later, are broadly cordate with an angular or lobed outline, and are covered on the under-face with a dense white felt. the botanical name, _tussilago_, recalls its use as a medicine for cough (_tussis_). the leaves are smoked in cases of asthma.