Heracleum in Flora of Pakistan @ efloras.org

Heracleum Linn., Sp. Pl. 249. 1753. Gen. Pl. ed. 5. 118. 1754; Boiss., Fl. Or. 2: 1039. 1872; C.B. Clarke in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 2:711. 1879; Hiroe, Umb. Asia 1 :189. 1958; Brummitt in Tutin et al, Fl. Eur. 2:364. 1968.

Plants perennial, pubescent. Leaves simple or compound, 1-3-pinnate. Rays 3 to numerous. Involucre of a few bracts or lacking. Involucel of a few to many linear to lanceolate or oval bractlets. Calyx teeth evident or obsolete. Petals white, rarely yellow, outer petals of the outer flowers in an umbel larger. Fruit elliptic, strongly compressed dorsally, oblong, obovate, orbicular or pyriform; dorsal and intermediate ridges prominent or not prominent, not winged; lateral ridges winged; furrows 1-vittate; commissure 2-vittate; vittae filiform or clavate, usually not extending (rarely extending) to the base of the fruit. Inner seed face plane.

A fairly large genus with over 70 species found in the temperate regions, mostly in Europe and Asia.

Distribution: Himalayas in India and Pakistan, USSR, Europe.

1 Cauline leaves simple (2)

+ Cauline leaves compound (3)

2 (1) Leaves tripartite; apex acute Heracleum leucocarpum

+ Leaves ovate to cordate; apex obtuse Heracleum polyadenum

3 (1) Leaf segments 10-20 cm long, 8-15 cm broad. plants up to 2 m tall Heracleum candicans

+ Leaf segments less than 10 cm long. plans up to 1m tall (4)

4 (3) Leaf segments linear to lanceolate, entire or oval to ovate and deeply toothed Heracleum cachemiricum

+ Leaf segments ovate to rotund, crenate to serrate (5)

5 (4) Plants villous; hairs white. Ovaries and young fruits densely pubescent Heracleum canescens

+ Plants not villous; pubescent. Ovaries and young Fruits minutely pubescent Heracleum pinnatum

Lower Taxa

Related Synonym(s):

Related Objects

Flora of China

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