Cough!

Despite the very strong winds this morning, we set out for a sunny walk along the old railway lines to Head House Farm, returning along the Nutbrook Trail.  As I have mentioned several times lately, the path-sides are liberally sprinkled with the bright, yellow Coltsfoot flowers (Tussilago farfara).  Looking rather more closely than normal, reveals them to be more than just individual flowers.

What appear to be the petals, are in fact ray florets surrounding a disc of smaller, flowers in the middle.  Common to all the other members of the family Asteraceae (the daisy family), each composite 'flower' consists of many real flowers each a miniature beauty.  The plant goes by many common names including Coughwort, Bull's foot, Foal's Foot and is used in the manufacture of Coltsfoot Rock, an old sweet remedy for coughs and sore throats, made by Stockley's Sweets of Lancashire.  See HERE.