Heracleum wallichii
DC.
Apiaceae
The Temperate Database is in the process of being updated, with new records being added and old ones being checked and brought up to date where necessary. This record has not yet been checked and updated.
Common Name:
General Information
Heracleum wallichii is a perennial plant that can grow up to 0.60 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine..
Known Hazards
Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, many members of this genus contain furanocoumarins. These have carcinogenic, mutagenic and phototoxic properties[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Skin contact with the sap of some members of this genus is said to cause photo-sensitivity and/or dermatitis in some people[
218- Title
- Medicinal Plants of China
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S.
- Publisher
- Reference Publications, Inc.
- Year
- 1985
- ISBN
- 0-917256-20-4
- Description
- Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
].
Botanical References
51- Title
- Flowers of the Himalayas.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Polunin. O. and Stainton. A.
- Publisher
- Oxford Universtiy Press
- Year
- 1984
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A very readable and good pocket guide (if you have a very large pocket!) to many of the wild plants in the Himalayas. Gives many examples of plant uses.
Range
E. Asia - Himalayas.
Habitat
Shrubberies and open slopes, 3600 - 4100 metres from C. Nepal to Bhutan[
51- Title
- Flowers of the Himalayas.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Polunin. O. and Stainton. A.
- Publisher
- Oxford Universtiy Press
- Year
- 1984
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A very readable and good pocket guide (if you have a very large pocket!) to many of the wild plants in the Himalayas. Gives many examples of plant uses.
].
Properties
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Habit | Perennial |
| Height | 0.60 m |
| Pollinators | Insects |
| Self-fertile | Yes |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
We have almost no information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in this country, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in much of Britain. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus.
Succeeds in any ordinary garden soil, doing best in moist soils or deep woodland[
1- Title
- RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
- Publication
-
- Author
- F. Chittendon.
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Year
- 1951
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
].
Edible Uses
None known
Medicinal
The root is aphrodisiac and tonic[
61- Title
- A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Usher. G.
- Publisher
- Constable
- Year
- 1974
- ISBN
- 0094579202
- Description
- Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
,
240- Title
- Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement).
- Publication
-
- Author
- Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C.
- Publisher
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi.
- Year
- 1986
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
].
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed - sow mid to late spring or early autumn in situ.
Division in the autumn.
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Useful Temperate Plants Database 2016 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
