Bear’s foot in bloom

 As mentioned yesterday, Bear’s foot, Smallanthus uvedalia, is blooming. It’s also known as hairy leafcup, but the Georgians call it Bear’s foot.

It’s big — up to 10 feet, they say — and the yellow flowers are hard to miss.

The shape of the leaves reminded settlers of bear tracks. The leaves are funny, at least to amateurs like me: the lower leaves are opposite and the upper leaves are alternate.

The Florida Wildflower Foundation says that in the 1870s Dr. J.W. Pruit made a tincture from the roots that he used to treat rheumatism. Brooks’ Bears-Foot Ointment came along in 1900 and was used to treat just about every ill known to humans, dogs and horses. 

• Source: The Florida Wildflower Foundation’s article is at https://www.flawildflowers.org/flower-friday-smallanthus-uvedalia/