Acanthus mollis
True acanthus (Acanthus mollis )
True acanthus (Acanthus mollis ) is a plant from the family of Acanthaceae ( Acanthaceae ). The species is widespread in the Mediterranean. Occasionally, they find use as an ornamental plant. In German-speaking countries the term Soft hogweed is in use. But the truth hogweed is not more closely related to the known as hogweed Heracleum genus of the family Umbelliferae ( Apiaceae ).
Description
The True hogweed is a perennial, herbaceous plant that unbranched, erect stem axis is 30 to 100 inches high. The undergraduate, 40 to 60 centimeters long and 15 centimeters wide leaves are long-petiolate, oblong- ovate, pinnatifid not narrowed with at the base, at the top not verdornten Fiederabschnitten, the leaf margin is serrated cut. They are hairy bald until just fluffy. The few, more or less sessile leaves on the stems are 1-3 inches long, more or less ovate, serrated edge of their thorny.
The bare bracts are ovate and up to 4 inches long. The inflorescence is a dense, composed of numerous, attractive flowers cylindrical spike. The hairless cup is about 4 inches long. The crown 4 to 5 inches long and white in color with purple venation. The upper lip is greatly reduced, the lower lip three-lobed.
The chromosome number is 2n = 36
Dissemination
The species is widespread in the western and central Mediterranean, they found, for example in maquis or in valleys.
Use
The plant is a valued ornamental plant, but is only hardy conditioned, so it is rarely planted climatically favored regions of Central Europe also. In ancient times the ursina branca ( " bear claw ") was said plant used as an ingredient in medicines In 1542 the plant was described by the name of Bear taping.