Petasites hybridus, the butterbur, is a species of herbaceous perennial
flowering plant in the family
Asteraceae native to Europe and northern Asia. Although used over centuries in
traditional medicine to treat various disorders and sometimes sold as a
dietary supplement, it has no approved medical uses. Concerns about the potential toxic effects of
pyrrolizidine alkaloids limit its use in human and animal studies. This P. hybridusinflorescence was photographed in a forest near
Keila in northwestern Estonia.Photograph credit:
Ivar Leidus
Petasites hybridus, the butterbur, is a species of herbaceous perennial
flowering plant in the family
Asteraceae native to Europe and northern Asia. Although used over centuries in
traditional medicine to treat various disorders and sometimes sold as a
dietary supplement, it has no approved medical uses. Concerns about the potential toxic effects of
pyrrolizidine alkaloids limit its use in human and animal studies. This P. hybridusinflorescence was photographed in a forest near
Keila in northwestern Estonia.Photograph credit:
Ivar Leidus