Heracleum L.

Umbelliferae, J. F. M. Cannon. Flora Zambesiaca 4. 1978

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, biennial or annual herbs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves pinnately divided, usually with broad segments.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Umbels compound; bracts 0; bracteoles several.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx teeth minute or obsolete, unequal.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals white (sometimes flushed with pink, especially in bud), often markedly unequal and radiate, those on the outer margin of the umbel being much larger than those on the inside, the whole umbel therefore tending to function like a capitulum in attracting insects, although the individual flowers remain quite distinct.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit orbicular to broadly obovate, very strongly dorsally compressed, with a broad commissure. Marginal ridges expanded to form a broad wing, the dorsal ones filiform; wings somewhat thickened and closely appressed to those of the opposing mericarp.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits Vittae

Vittae solitary in the intervals, clearly visible from the exterior, and tending to be club-shaped, narrowing towards the base, with 2 in the commissural face.

Ghazanfar, S. A. & Edmondson, J. R (Eds). (2014) Flora of Iraq, Volume 5 Part 2: Lythraceae to Campanulaceae.

Morphology General Habit

Perennial or biennial herbs, very variable in stature, some gigantic, some dwarf, usually ± pubescent, setose or scabrous

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 1–3-pinnate with broad segments or variably trisect or ternate to entire and ± lobed

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Umbels compound, the central hermaphrodite and laterals with central flowers male, or hermaphrodite

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts

Bracts of involucre mostly absent or caducous, bracteoles several-Flowers white, regular, outer usually ± radiant

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals long-cuneate below, outer obcordate above from the deeply 2-lobed or emarginate tips, inner with an incurved acumen

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx teeth small

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit ± round, elliptical or obcordate, strongly plano compressed dorsally, pubescent at least when young Mericarps almost flat, the 3 median ribs slender and not conspicuous, laterals with thickened margins, closely contiguous and forming a wing to the fruit

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits Vittae

Vittae solitary in valleculae, shorter than the fruit, conspicuous and swollen at end and appearing narrowly claviform

Disc

Disk and stylopodia variable, conical-Carpophore bipartite

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds Endosperm

Endosperm with the commissural face flat, commissural vittae 0–2.

Distribution

About 70 species in the N temperate region and on mountains in the tropics, but specific limits often uncertain; two species in Iraq.

Note

Heracleum (the name of a plant in Theophrastus, from Gr. πᾰνάκεια χηρακλειον panakeia herakleion (“all-heal Hercules”), some species of the genus having been at one time used medicinally); Cow- Parsnip, Cowparsnip (Am.). According to Uphof (1968), the boiled leaves and fruit of the Common Cow-Parsnip (H. sphondylium) formed the basis of an alcoholic beverage, known as Bartsch in Slavonic countries, which is still used in some French liqueurs.