Cow parnship

Description

Heracleum maximum, commonly known as cow parsnip, is the only member of the genus Heracleum native to North America. It is also known as American cow-parsnip, Indian celery, Indian rhubarb or pushki. It is sometimes referred to as Heracleum lanatum (or Heracleum lanatum var. asiaticum), which is regarded as a synonym. The genus name Heracleum (from Heracles) refers to the very large size of all parts of these plants. Cow parsnip is a tall herbaceous perennial plant, reaching heights of over 2 m (7 ft). The stems are hollow and densely hairy. The leaves are very large, up to 40 cm (16 in) across, and divided into lobes. Cow parsnip has the characteristic flower umbels of the carrot family (Apiaceae). The umbels are about 20 centimetres (8 in) across, flat-topped or rounded, and composed of small white flowers. Sometimes the outer flowers of the umbel are much larger than the inner ones. The seeds are 8–12 mm (0.3–0.5 in) long and 5–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) wide. It is commonly confused with Heracleum mantegazzianum (giant hogweed), which is a much larger plant that typically has purplish spots on the stems, as well as more sharply serrated leaves.