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Heracleum sphondylium L.

Flora Europaea The original Linnean specimen perennial, H, 2n=22, diploid usually a mesophyle invasive weed which frequently passes as an indigenous species in grasslands for many naturalists, from the forest-steppe up to the boreal belt Palearctic Aegopodion podagrariae, Filipendulo-Petasition, Molinio-Arrhenatheretea, Arrhenatheretalia, Fagetalia (these are the data from Romanian literature, but seemingly the species is mostly a widespread weed of Artemisietea from where it successfully irradiates in grasslands and other ecosystems especially as a result of overgrazing) R87s (a widespread weed) R37, R38, R41habitats (in our opinion as an invader),     A widespread tall forb weed. Podeni, Cluj county, october 2009 dr. Alexandru Badarau, alexandru@transsilvanica.com Cladova valley, Zarand Mountains, Arad county, upstream from the village of Cladova, August 2010. Though there is clearly stated in the diagnosis of the typical species that the outer flowers in the inflorescences are very radiant and asymmetric, there are varieties where this assymmetry almost do not exist like in the ones from the photos below. Such individuals can mislead a naturalist to Heracleum sphondylium ssp. sibiricum which is said to have symmetric flowers but is very different (have clearly smaller and yellowish-green petals) and generally is very different in all aspects - probably it deserves a specific status. See some relevant pictures of this late taxon here. A mistake like the one stated before can be seen also on this Danish site though in the individuals there the radiant character of the flowers is much clear than in the photographs below. dr. Alexandru Badarau, alexandru@transsilvanica.net