Petasites Pyrenaicus, Winter heliotrope



Common name:
Winter heliotrope
Scientific name:
Petasites pyrenaicus
Main flower color:
Range:
England, Wales, Ireland and southern Scotland; a naturalised species
Height:
Up to 25 cm
Habitat:
Damp grassland, woodland margins, pathways, hedgerows, streambanks
Flowers:
Flowerheads, around 100 mm in diameter, contain two dozen or more whitish, five-lobed ray florets, subtended by reddish-purple phyllaries, sparsely hairy; they are arranged in an open cluster at the top of the stem
Leaves:
Heart-shaped, lined by tiny teeth, green on both sides, attached by long, reddish stalks to the stout, hairy stems
Season:
November to March
Rarity:
★★★★★