Heracleum sphondylium (L) Hogweed
NOMENCLATURE
Hercaleum : see H. mantegazzianum.
sphondylium :from Greek, Pliny.
Hogweed: From use as pig fodder.
OTHER NAMES : aldershoots, bearsbreeches, beesnest, (Barn). Bearskeiters, (Moray).
Beggar-weed, (Beds). Bilders (Corn, Dev, Som). Broadweed, (Dor). Eltroot, (Corn, Som,
Wilts, Hants). Keck, (Som, Suss, Ches, Leic, Yks). Kedlock, (Ches, Lancs) Keglus, (Ches).
Rabbit’s meat, (Dev, Som, Suss, War, Lincs, Yks) Billers, caddell, cadweed, humpy
scrumples, madnep, pig’s flop, pig’s cole, snakes meat, sweet biller, (Dev). Limper scrimp,
limperscruinp, wippel squip, (Dev, Som). Pigweed, (Dev, Oxf). Cowflop, geagles, kegga,
kiskies, lisamoo, les-an-mogh, rough kex, skeets, (Corn). Bullers, cowbelly, caxlies,
cowbumble, gipsy’s 1ace, pig’s bubble, pig’s parsnip, rabbit’s vittles, scabby hands,
(Som). Pigfood, (Dor). Bundweed, camlick, (Suff). Cowparsnip, (Staff), Devil’s oatmeal,
(War). Swineweed, (N”thants) . Cowclogweed, hardweed, (Som, Wilts). Broad kelk,
bunweed, cushia, (Yks), Bunnie (Cumb, Lancs, Scot). Kesk, kewse, (Lincs, Lancs, Yks).
Bunnen, bunnert, (Yks Scot). Cowcakes, (Scot). Cowmumble, (Suff Norf, Lincs).
Cathawblow, kesk, (Cumb). Cowkeep, (Fife). Cowkeeks, (Berw). Keksi, (Shet).
Brylard scout, odhiran, (N Ire).
BSBI Picture Link to Heracleum sphondylium
BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION
TYPE : stout, hispid, biennial. Hs. AROMA : unpleasent.
ROOTS : tap root stout, sometimes branched.
STEMS : hollow, ridged, hairy, deflexed, but not closely appressed. HEIGHT : 50-200 cm.
UMBELS : compound, 5-20cm diam, Rays usually 7-20, 2-12cm, hairy, unequal, stout. Peduncle >
than rays, puberulent. Terminal hermaphrodite. Lateral male & hermaphrodite or just male.
LEAVES : 15-6Ocm. Simply pinnate, hispid both sides, lobes 5-9, 4-1O(18.)cm. Leaves
vary: lobed or pinnatifid, crenate to serrate, ovate to linear lancolate, the lower stalked. Petiole
greatly inflated, sheathing, purplish, hairy. Cotyledons contracted into, a petiole.
BRACTS : few or 0. Subulate. Bracteoles several, linear, reflexed, hispidulous.
FLOWERS : pink/green/white. Calyx teeth small, unequal. Petals unequal, notched;
outer flowers unequal. Styles form stylopodium, Stamen > than petal. Ovary downy
Pollination by soldier & carpet beetles. Fl.4-9.
FRUIT : (6) 7-8mm, obovate to suborbicular. Dorsally compressed & whitish smooth or
hairy, Commisure broad. Carpels nearly flat, marginal form broad wing, dorsal
slender. Carpophore present. Vittae solitary in furrows, swollen at lower ends, < than fruit.
0-4mm wide. Pedicels = or > than fruit side. Styles short erect, 2 x > than stylopodium,
reflexed in ripe fruit stigma capitate. 2n=22*.
HABITAT : grassy places, roadsides, hedges, woods, embankments, waste land.
DISTRIBUTION : native, <l000m. Common British Is. Europe S. from 61 N. W. &
N. Asia. W.N. Africa Introduced to North America.
BSBI Distribution Map for Heracleum sphondylium (UK)
SUBSPECIES : Subsp. sibiricum. Subsp. sphondylium.
MEDICINAL USES
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS : roots rich in carbohydrates. Plant : essential
oil with n-octylacetate pimpinellin isopimpnelin, related
compounds.
EFFECT : sedative, mildly expectorant, tonic, lowers blood pressure, aphrodisiac.
APPLICATION : laryngitis, bronchitis, debility, flowering herb in proprietary
medicines. May cause dermatitis in some people.
HISTORICAL MEDICINAL USES
Gerard : "Headaches, poor memory, melancholy."
Seed & root boiled in oil & rubbed on heads of those labouring under a frenzy. Root for
coughs, epilepsy, jaundice, removing hard skin covering on abscesses. Mixed with Rue for
drowsiness. N. Indian tribes use it for pain relief.
EDIBLE USES
Young leaves boiled in salt as delicacy, before flowering. Add to soups. Leaf stalks dried until
yellow delicacy in Siberia, Russia. Attempts once made to manufacture sugar from stems. Roots edible when boiled.
Esteemed by herbivoures. Used as pig & cattle fodder.
GARDEN USES
Any soil in sun or partial shade. Seed in spring.
FOLKLORE
Children used stems as peashooters, and made water guns called laddy or caddy. A large hollow
seeding stem was taken, cutting with a node intact at one end. A tiny hole was made through the
centre of the node. For a plunger and washer, a short stick had wool tightly wound around the
bottom inch, until the radius of it the hollow, the stick was attached to longer plunging stick.
EXTERNAL LINKS FOR Heracleum sphondylium
These links to trusted websites and institutions may provide in depth or additional information regards cultivation, chemistry, edibility, images etc. for the species. Links last updated Aug 2012.
Wikipedia (EU) Plants For a Future (UK) Nature's Gate (FIN)
Bio Info (UK) APHOTOFLORA (UK) Znaturforsch (GER)
Nothumberland Moths (UK) Bio Images (UK)
'Online Guide To Umbelliferae Of The British Isles' Compiled By J.M.Burton 2002
