Heracleum sphondylium
Hogweed ( Heracleum sphondylium )
The or Hogweed ( Heracleum sphondylium ), also called Common Hogweed, a flowering plant in the carrot family is ( Apiaceae ). It is in contrast to the giant hogweed ( Heracleum mantegazzianum ) in Europe at home. Because the lobed petiolate and hairy leaves resemble animal feet, this species has been named hogweed ( = " Bear Claw ").
Description
The Hogweed is a perennial, herbaceous plant that reaches the stature heights of up to 1.5 meters. The basic axis is thick, branched and deep- rooted. The plant gives off an unpleasant odor and contains abundant essential oils. The stem is grooved edges. The leaves are three to four times pinnatisect. The leaves have a large, serving as buds protective sheath ( = Ochrea ).
In a doppeldoldigen inflorescence are many flowers. Its flowers are white, often easily overrun greenish or light pink. The nectar is similar to cow parsley open in bloom and is easily accessible for kurzrüsselige insects. The flowering period extends from June to October.
The fruits are winged Doppelachänen. The fruits ripen from July to September.
Ecology
The Hogweed is a semi- rosette plant.
The flowers are " nectar leading disk flowers " and are available in compound umbels. The ray flowers are " bright ". It is the name -giving way for the Heracleum type. The flowers of the main umbel are usually hermaphroditic, the rest have not only hermaphrodite flowers are often male and functionally female through sterile anthers or pollen grains. The flowers are vormännlich that is, the stamens are reaching out to their deployment to the outside and discharge the pollen. The pen with the capitate stigma usually develop later. They are of a greenish, abundant nectar -secreting disk ( " stylus pad " ) surrounded. Pollination of strongly scented flowers usually occurs randomly through various running around and basking insects. This plant is the main source of pollen for the sand bee ( Andrena rosae ). At the fertilizing insects are mainly flies and beetles.
The fruits are winged Doppelachänen and spread with the wind as " Schirmchenflieger " ( Anemochorie ). The main propagation is done by water adhesion ( Nautochorie ) and random dispersal by grazing animals ( Zoochorie ) and manure.
Occurrence
One finds the Hogweed spreads in rich pastures and herb vegetation on the banks and ditches in lowland forests and their hemming and in Hochstaudenfluren. It prefers to grow in loose, moist soil. After Ellenberg she is a half-light plant, a default pointer with oceanic heat Kontinentalitätszahl, a freshness indicator, an outspoken nitrogen pointer and a Ordnungscharakterart fertilized fresh meadows and pastures ( Arrhenatheretalia ).
Subspecies and their distribution
The Hogweed is a very rich in forms Art In the Flora Europaea are called nine subspecies. Two other subspecies are indicated for Turkey, five for North Africa. In Germany, there are three subspecies:
- Mountain Hogweed ( Heracleum sphondylium subsp elegans ( Crantz ) Schübl & G.Martens, Syn: .. H. montanum subsp sphondylium (Schleicher ex Gaudin ) Briq. . )
- Green Flowering Hogweed ( Heracleum sphondylium subsp. Sibiricum (L.) Simonk. )
- Common Hogweed ( Heracleum sphondylium L. subsp. Sphondylium )
Other European subspecies are:
- Heracleum sphondylium subsp. alpinum (L.) Bonnier & Layens ( syn. H. alpinum L.): It occurs only in the Jura.
- Heracleum sphondylium subsp. orsinii ( Guss. ) H.Neumayer: It comes in central and southern Apennines and in the mountains of the Balkan peninsula.
- Heracleum sphondylium subsp. pyrenaicum ( Lam.) Bonnier & Layens ( syn. H. pyrenaicum Lam. ): She comes in the Pyrenees, the Alps, in the northern Apennines and in the mountains of the Balkan peninsula.
- Heracleum sphondylium subsp. ternatum ( Velen. ) Brummitt: It occurs in northern and central Apennines and in the mountains of the Balkan peninsula.
- Heracleum sphondylium subsp. transsilvanicum ( Schur ) Brummitt: It occurs in the Carpathians.
- Heracleum sphondylium subsp. verticillatum ( Pančić ) Brummitt: It occurs on the Balkan Peninsula.
Due to the large variability of the characteristics and the occurrence of intermediate forms, the classification of Heracleum alpinum, Heracleum elegans and Heracleum sibiricum not appear justified as a separate species.
Ingredients and use
After touching the plant unpleasant redness and swelling of the skin may occur ( " meadow dermatitis "). They are caused by the photosensitizing furocoumarins. Of this class are in the roots pimpinellin, Isopimpinellin, sphondin and bergapten included; in the fruits also xanthotoxin and imperatorin. Unripe fruits have the highest Furocumaringehalt.
Young leaves are a good feed, eg for rabbits. For fair-skinned animals, however, caution should be exercised when fed large amounts because inflammatory skin reactions can occur through the Furocumaringehalt of the herb in sunlight too.
Use in herbal kitchen
The Hogweed is nontoxic young. Young leaves and shoots are therefore used by humans as wild vegetables. In larger specimens the stem can be peeled and eaten raw or processed into compote. Sensitive individuals should wear during peeling of hairy, spiny stems gloves to avoid skin irritation.