Hogweed

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Hogweed
Flower and leaf of Cow Parsnip
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Apiales Family: Apiaceae Genus: Heracleum
Species
See text (about 60)

Heracleum (the hogweeds) is a genus of about 60 species (depending on taxonomic interpretation) of biennial and perennial herbs in the carrot family Apiaceae. They are found throughout the temperate northern hemisphere and in high mountains as far south as Ethiopia.

Major species include:

• Giant Hogweed Heracleum mantegazzianum A native of the Caucasus Mountains, grows to 4-5m tall, and can cause severe dermatitis if the sap gets on human skin. The main mechanism for this dermatitis is extreme photosensitivity, causing severe sunburn on exposure to relatively small amounts of sunlight, with rash and blistering appearing within a few minutes: accordingly immediately covering sap-affected skin can prevent the dermatitis in many cases. It has become a serious invasive weed in many areas of Europe and North America, after being introduced as a garden plant.
• Common Hogweed Heracleum sphondylium
• Cow Parsnip Heracleum lanatum (synonyms: Heracleum sphondylium subsp. montanum, Heracleum maximum).

Contents 1 Species 2 Similar species 3 References 4 External links 5 Footnotes

[edit] Species

Note that this is a full list of the 187 names described in the genus; the majority of these names are treated as synonyms of earlier-described species by most botanists.

Heracleum aconitifolium Heracleum acuminatum Heracleum afghanicum Heracleum albovii Heracleum algeriense Heracleum alpinum Heracleum amanum Heracleum amplissimum Heracleum anatolicum Heracleum angustilobatum Heracleum anisactis Heracleum antasiaticum Heracleum apiifolium Heracleum arcticum Heracleum armoricum Heracleum artvinense Heracleum asperum Heracleum austriacum Heracleum bailletianum Heracleum basvicum Heracleum bhutanicum Heracleum biternatum Heracleum brevivittatum Heracleum brignoliaefolia Heracleum brunonis Heracleum calcareum Heracleum candolleanum Heracleum canescens Heracleum carneiflorum Heracleum caspicum Heracleum ceretanum Heracleum chloranthum Heracleum circassicum Heracleum colchicum Heracleum coreanum Heracleum crenatifolium Heracleum cuneiforme Heracleum cyclocarpum Heracleum dalgadianum Heracleum daralaghezicum Heracleum davisii Heracleum deqenense Heracleum dichotoma Heracleum dissectifolium Heracleum egrissicum Heracleum fargesii Heracleum forrestii Heracleum freynianum Heracleum giganteum Heracleum gorganicum Heracleum granatense Heracleum grandiflorum Heracleum grossheimii Heracleum hemsleyanum Heracleum henryi Heracleum hookerianum Heracleum hypoleucum Heracleum idae Heracleum incanum Heracleum inexpectatum Heracleum inperpastum Heracleum insigne Heracleum isopetalum Heracleum jacquemontii Heracleum jugatum Heracleum kansuense Heracleum kingdoni Heracleum lallemantii Heracleum lanatum: Cow Parsnip Heracleum lehmannianum Heracleum leichtlini Heracleum leskovii Heracleum ligusticifolium Heracleum likiangense Heracleum mandenovae Heracleum mantegazzianum: Giant Hogweed Heracleum marashicum Heracleum massyciticum Heracleum microcarpum Heracleum millefolium Heracleum minimum Heracleum moellendorffii Heracleum moellendorffii var. paucivittatum Heracleum moellendorffii var. sagenifolium Heracleum montanum

Heracleum morifolium Heracleum multibracteatum Heracleum nanum Heracleum nepalense Heracleum nyalamense Heracleum obtusifolium Heracleum olgae Heracleum oreocharis Heracleum orphanidis Heracleum ossethicum Heracleum pachyrhizum Heracleum palmatilobum Heracleum palmatum Heracleum panaces Heracleum paniculatum Heracleum paphlagonicum Heracleum pastinaca Heracleum pastinacifolium Heracleum pedatum Heracleum persicum: Persian Hogweed or golpar Heracleum peshmeniana Heracleum pimpinellifolium Heracleum pinda Heracleum pinnatum Heracleum platytaenium Heracleum polyadenum Heracleum propinquum Heracleum pubescens Heracleum pulchrum Heracleum pyrenaicum Heracleum rapula Heracleum rawianum Heracleum rechingeri Heracleum rigens Heracleum scabridum Heracleum scabrum Heracleum schansianum Heracleum schelkovnikowii Heracleum setosum Heracleum siamicum Heracleum sibiricum Heracleum simplicifolium Heracleum smithii Heracleum sommieri Heracleum sosnowskyi Heracleum souliei Heracleum spathiphyllum Heracleum speciosum Heracleum sphondylium: Common Hogweed Heracleum sphondylium var. fontqueri Heracleum sprengelianum Heracleum stenopteroides Heracleum stenopterum Heracleum steveni Heracleum strelkovi Heracleum subglabrum Heracleum subtomentellum Heracleum sumatranum Heracleum tabuchii Heracleum taylori Heracleum tenuevittatum Heracleum ternatum Heracleum thomsoni Heracleum tiliifolium Heracleum trachycarpum Heracleum trachyloma Heracleum transcaucasicum Heracleum tuberosum Heracleum turugisanense Heracleum umbellatum Heracleum umbonatum Heracleum verrucosum Heracleum verticillatum Heracleum vescens Heracleum vicinum Heracleum villosum Heracleum viscosum Heracleum wenchuanense Heracleum wolongense Heracleum woodii Heracleum xiaojinense Heracleum yoshii Heracleum yungningense Heracleum yunnanense Heracleum zozimioides

[edit] Similar species

These plants all have white flowers in large compound umbels. Therefore, these plants are confused with each other; the water parsnip, (swamp parsnip, sium suave) and the western water hemlock, (Cicuta douglasii, poison hemlock) or the spotted water hemlock (cicuta maculata, spotted water hemlock, spotted parsley, spotted cowbane). Water parsnip and water hemlock both have cluster of small white flowers shaped like umbrellas, and both 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. All water hemlock is highly poisonous.^[1] Water parsnip is not poisonous.^[2] The water hemlock has bracts at the base of each small flower cluster, not at the base of the main flower head.^[3] The Water parsnip has small bracts at the base of flowers and main flower head as well.^[4] The Yarrow, (Common Yarrow, Gordaldo, Nosebleed plant, Old Man's Pepper, Sanguinary, Milfoil, Soldier's Woundwort, Thousand-leaf (as its binomial name affirms), Thousand-seal or Achillea millefolium) also has many small white flowers in a cluster. However the yarrow has feathery looking leaves which are pinnately separated into small narrow segments.^[5] The cow parsnip (heracleum lanatum, Heracleum maxinium Indian Celery or Pushki, and Heracleum sphondylium, hogweed) is also confused in this group with similar flower groupings. However, the cow parsnip has large, broad leaves, and an unpleasant odour.^[6]

[edit] References

The International Plant Names Index

[edit] External links

• ITIS 29669

[edit] Footnotes

1. ^ "Cicuta maculata.". Retrieved on 2008-08-03.
2. ^ "Traditional Plant Foods of Canadian Indigenous Peoples By Harriet V Kuhnlein, Nancy J.". Google books. Retrieved on 2008-08-03.
3. ^ "Western Water Hemlock - Agriculture - Government of Saskatchewan". Retrieved on 2008-08-03.
4. ^ "Water Parsnip - Agriculture - Government of Saskatchewan". Retrieved on 2008-08-03.
5. ^ "Yarrow Achillea millefolium". Retrieved on 2008-08-03.
6. ^ "Heracleum lanatum". University of Saskatchewan. Retrieved on 2008-08-03.

Coordinates: 51°55′59″N 14°34′01″E / 51.933, 14.567