Heracleum sphondylium, common names hogweed, common hogweed or cow parsnip,
is a herbaceous perennial or biennial plant plant, in the umbelliferous family
Apiaceae that includes fennel, cow parsley, ground elder and giant hogweed.
It is native to Europe and Asia. The common name eltrot may also be applied,
but is not specific to this species. Umbelliferous plants are so named
because of the umbrella-like arrangement of flowers they produce. The North
American species Heracleum maximum is sometimes included as a subspecies of H.
sphondylium. Etymology
The genus name Heracleum derives from the Greek "herákleion" and refers to the
mythologic hero Heracles, while the species name sphondylium, meaning
"vertebrate", refers to the shape of the segmented stem.
Description Heracleum sphondylium reaches on average
50–120 centimetres of height, with a maximum of 2 metres. From large reddish
rhizomatous roots rises a striated, hollow stem with bristly hairs. The
leaves can reach 50 centimetres of length. They are pinnate, hairy and
serrated, divided into 3-5 lobed segments.
This plant has pinkish or white flowers with 5 petals. They are arranged in
large umbels of up to 20 cm of diameter with 15 to 30 rays. The peripheral
flowers have a radial symmetry. Flowering typically occurs between June
and October. The flowers are pollinated by insects, such as beetles, wasps and
especially flies. The small fruits are flattened and winged, elliptical to
rounded and glabrous, up to 1 cm long. The seed dispersal is by wind.
The characteristic pig-like smell of the inflorescence gives it its name.
Heracleum sphondylium is smaller in size than the skin irritating Heracleum
mantegazzianum. There is some apocryphal evidence that the sap from Common
Hogsweed can also produce burns and rashes. Care needs to be used when
cutting or strimming it. The small picture-winged fly Euleia
heraclei is as its name suggests found on Hogweed.
Distribution These plants have a Eurasian
distribution, growing all over Europe, and North Africa.
Habitat The plant is common in herbaceous
places, along roads, in hedges, meadows and woods, especially in mountain areas
up to 8,000 ft of altitude. It prefers moist, nitrogen-rich soils.
Similar species The water parsnip, western water hemlock
and spotted water hemlock all have white flowers in large compound umbels, which
can lead to misidentification. All water hemlock and poison hemlock are highly
poisonous, but water parsnip is not. Both have clusters of small white
flowers shaped like umbrellas, and have the same habitat near the shore line of
lakes and rivers. Water parsnip has leaves only once compound, and water
hemlock has leaves which are three times compound. Water hemlock has a large
swelling at the stem base, and has bracts at the base of each small flower
cluster, not at the base of the main flower head. The Water parsnip has small
bracts at the base of flowers and main flower head as well. Yarrow from the
Asteraceae family also has many small white flowers in a cluster. However the
yarrow has feathery looking leaves which are pinnately separated into small
narrow segments. The cow parsnips are also confused in this group with similar
flower groupings. However, the cow parsnips have large, broad leaves, and
an unpleasant odour. Subspecies
This species presents a large variability of the characteristics and
the occurrence of many intermediate forms. In Europe there are eight named
subspecies. Heracleum sphondylium subsp. chloranthum
Neumayer Heracleum sphondylium subsp. elegans
Schübl. & G. Martens Heracleum sphondylium subsp. glabrum
Holub Heracleum sphondylium subsp. orsinii H.
Neumayer Heracleum sphondylium subsp. pyrenaicum
Bonnier & Layens Heracleum sphondylium subsp. sibiricum
Simonk. Heracleum sphondylium subsp. sphondylium
Heracleum sphondylium subsp. trachycarpum Holub
References ^ "Heracleum sphondylium". Natural
Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
^ Van Der Kooi, C. J.; Pen, I.; Staal, M.; Stavenga, D. G.; Elzenga, J. T. M..
"Competition for pollinators and intra-communal spectral dissimilarity of
flowers". Plant Biology. doi:10.1111/plb.12328.
^ Euleia heraclei Retrieved 18 May 2012 ^ Parnell, J. and Curtis, Y. 2012.
Webb's An Irish Flora. Cork University Press. ISBN 978-185918-4783
^ "Cicuta maculata.". Archived from the original on 2006-09-27. Retrieved
2008-08-03. ^ Kuhnlein, Harriet V; Turner, Nancy J..
Traditional Plant Foods of Canadian Indigenous Peoples. Taylor & Francis.
ISBN 978-2-88124-465-0. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
^ "Western Water Hemlock – Agriculture – Government of Saskatchewan". Retrieved
2008-08-03. ^ "Water Parsnip – Agriculture –
Government of Saskatchewan". Retrieved 2008-08-03.
^ "Yarrow Achillea millefolium". Retrieved 2008-08-03.
^ "Heracleum lanatum". University of Saskatchewan. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
Pignatti S. - Flora d'Italia – Edagricole – 1982, Vol. II, pag. 237
Tutin, T. G. & al.. Flora Europaea. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
[p.365] External links
Biolib Plants.USDA