Herbologia Heracleum _p20-p27

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Herbologia Vol. 11, No. 2, 2010.

GIANT HOGWEEDHeracleum mantegazzianumSomier&Levier A NEWNON-INDIGENOUS SPECIES IN THE FLORA OF BOSNIA AND

HERZEGOVINA

Semir MasloLundkerskola Gislaved, SwedenE.mail: [email protected]

Abstract

This finding of the Asian species Heracleum mantegazzianumSommier & Levier in Hadii near Sarajevo city, presents its first record inthe flora of Bosnia and Herzegovina and it is probably the most southern

record in Europe.Giant hogweed is a perennial flowering plant in the carrot family(Apiaceae). This is a very dangerous weed, introduced from its native rangein Caucasus to European gardens as an ornamental species during the 19 thcentury. The species current range includes parts of Europe N of the Alps andparts of North America. It competes with native species for light, and canchange the composition and reduce the diversity of native plant communities.

The plant has a strong resinous smell and can cause dermatitis when itis handled in bright sunlight.

Giant hogweed is on the list of 100 of the most invasive alien speciesin Europe.

Keywords:invasive species, morphology, distribution, health hazards, control methods.

Introduction

Giant hogweed was introduced as an ornamental at least in Europaand North America, now regarded as a pest in N and C Europe (Frberg,2010). The first record from the area of secondary distribution relates to

Great Britain in 1817 (Nentwig et al., 2008). In 1828, the first naturalpopulation was recorded, growing wild in Cambridgeshire, England (Nielsenet al., 2005). Soon after, the plant began to spread rapidly across Europe.

It has been reported as established in Austria, Belgium, CzechRepublic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia (native), Germany,Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg,Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia (Southern Russia) (native), Slovakia,Sweden and Switzerland (Brummitt, 1968; Nielsen et al., 2005).

Outside Europe, this species can be found in Canada and the United

States where it is known as giant cow parsnip (Tiley, 1996).


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Gaint hogweed Heracleum mantegazzianum Sommier & Levier a new non-indi

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Fig.1.Heracleum mantegazzianumSommier & Levier(drawing from the book Nordiske skrmplanter, by Jens Christian Schou,

with permission of author)


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Results and discussion

The first record of giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianumSommier & Levier) at the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina is reported forthe town Hadii south west of Sarajevo city. Giant hogweed is one of themost aggressive invasive plant species in Europe and North America. It hasspread rapidly in many European countries after introduction as anornamental plant from its native area in Caucasus. The main mechanism ofintroduction into Europe, accounting for first records in most of western andnorthern Europe, was as ornamental curiosity (Nielsen et al., 2005). Inregions where it has recently been introduced, it occurs mainly in riparian

areas and near human habitations.


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Fig. 2. Dense stand of giant hogweed near the southern entrance to thetown of Hadii

H. mantegazzianum Sommier & Levier (Fig. 1) is monocarpicperennial, which persist usually 3-5 years in rosette stage. After reaching themature stage it flowers and dies. The flowering steam single, annual, hollow,up to 10 cm thick at base can be up to 5 m high. Leaves alternate, lower up to300 cm, ternately or pinnately lobed and coarsely toothed (Fig. 3). Flowerswhite, in compound umbels up to 80 cm in diameter with about 100 unequalhairy rays. The terminal umbel is largest and hermaphrodite, surrounded byup to eight satellite umbels on elongated curving stalks raising them up to 40cm above the level of the terminal umbel. Fruit elliptical 15 mm long and 5-

10 mm wide, narrowly winged, usually glabrous to villous, dorsally much


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compressed (Fig. 4). The fruit consists of two winged mericarps, eachcontaining one seed. The species reproduces only by seeds, which aredispersed by wind, water and humans. A single plant produces 5000 to morethan 100.000 seeds (Tiley et al., 1996).

Fig. 3.Heracleum mantegazzianumSommier & Levier


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Giant hogweed is generally an early colonizer of open ruderalcommunities, disturbed habitats, or bare ground. It is most invasive in regionswith cool, moist climates that are similar to its native habitat.

Population near the town of Hadii grows in plant communityalongrailway line Sarajevo Mostar and the main road M 17 (Fig. 2). There wereabout 20 plants in flowering stage at my visit in late July 2010. Given that theflowers develop after three to five years, population must be in place at leastsince 2007.

Fig. 4. Details

The terminal umbel Leaf

Umbellule with fruits Fruit


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Giant hogweed is the largest herbaceous plant in the European floraand is a highly competitive species owning to its rapid and prolific growth(Pyek et al., 2007). The species often develops large and dominant standsand replaces the native vegetation. Besides the ecological problems, plantsalso represent a serious health hazard to humans. The plant produces a sicklyyellow sap that contains toxins causing severe dermatitis. Contact with theeyes can cause temporary and possibly permanent blindness. However, thehealth hazards of the species via serious dermatological effects on skincontact are the main reasons for concern over its spread.

Although conspicuous and attractive, H. mantegazzianum is nowconsidered a noxious weed (Tiley et al., 1996), and management consistslargely of measures to control it. Current control methods are grazing,mechanical cutting or other damage and chemical treatment.

Acknowledgement Author would like to thank Jens Christian Schou from Denmark forhis permission to use the species' drawings.

Literature

BECK, G. (1927): Flora Bosne i Hercegovine i oblasti Novog Pazara. Srpska akademijanauka, Beograd.

BRUMMITT, R.K. (1968): Heracleum L. In Tutin, T.G., Heywood, V.H., Burges, N.A.,Moore, D.M., Valentine, D.H. & Walters, S.M. (eds.): Flora europaea. Vol. 2: 364-366, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

FAURHOLDT, N. & SCHOU, J.C. (2004): Nordiske skrmplanter. 166 pp., Dansk BotaniskForenings Forlag, Copenhagen /In Danish: Nordic Umbelliferous Plants.

FRBERG, L. (2010):HeracleumL. In Jonsell, B. & Karlsson, T. (eds.) Flora nordica. Vol.6. Stockholm.

MARTINI, A., WRABER, T., JOGAN, N., RAVNIK, V., PODOBNIK, A., TURK, B.,VRE, B. (1999): Mala flora Slovenije, Ljubljana: Tehnika zaloba Slovenije.

NENTWIG, W., HULME, P.E., PYEK P. & VIL, M. (eds.) (2008): DAISIE: Thehandbook of alien species in Europe. Springer, Berlin.

NIELSEN, C., RAVN, H.P., NENTWIG, W., WADE, M. (eds.) (2005): The Giant Hogweedbest practice manual. Guidelines for the management and control of an invasiveweed in Europe. Forest and Landscape, Hoersholm, Denmark.

PYEK, P., COCK, M.J. W. & RAVN, H.P. (2007): Ecology and management of GiantHogweed. Oxfordshire.

STUNKOVI, H. (2010): Heracleum mantegazzianum Sommier & Levier. In Nikoli, T.(ed.): Flora croatica, baza podataka. On-Line http://hirc.botanic.hr/fcd. Botanikizavod, Prirodoslovno-matematiki fakultet, Sveuilite u Zagrebu.

TILEY, G.E.D, DODD, F.S., WADE, P.M. (1996): Heracleum mantegazzianumSommier &Levier.Journal of Ecology84: 297-319.

TUTIN, T.G. (1980): Umbellifers of the British Isles. Handbook Number 2. London:Botanical Society of the British Isles.

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