Abstract
The contents and composition of essential oils obtained from Heracleum sosnowskyi and Heracleum mantegazzianum (Apiaceae) were examined. essential oils were investigated by the GC/MS method. The composition of hogweeds’ essential oils was examined in order to determine toxic compounds that could have a direct influence on the health of people and animals living in close proximity to both species. It was found that the essential oils, except for derivatives of coumarins, contain numerous toxic compounds, e.g. isobutyl isobutyrate, isoamyl butyrate, hexyl hexanoate, 1-hexadecanol etc. No significant differences were found in the chemical composition of the examined seed samples of Heracleum, which confirms the suggestions that the species can be closely related.
Highlights
Distribution and biologyThe genus Heracleum (Apiaceae) consists of ca. 60 species, which occur mostly in the temperate zone of Eurasia
There is genetic evidence that they are separate species (Jahodová et al, 2007), both of them look very alike, so their morphological features became questionable. Attributes such as plant size, leaf blade shape, stem color and fruit proportions do not seem to be very reliable and sometimes they even vary between individuals at one site. This has led to several misunderstandings, and as a result the state of invasive hogweeds in Poland remains to be examined
The sap’s main function is to protect from vertebrates, invertebrates, fungi, bacteria and viruses (Pyšek et al, 2007), being both repellent and toxic to them. It contains coumarin derivatives, which are responsible for its photodynamic effect
Summary
The genus Heracleum (Apiaceae) consists of ca. 60 species, which occur mostly in the temperate zone of Eurasia. Attributes such as plant size, leaf blade shape, stem color and fruit proportions do not seem to be very reliable and sometimes they even vary between individuals at one site. This has led to several misunderstandings, and as a result the state of invasive hogweeds in Poland remains to be examined. Its distribution map is available, where two species are considered as one (Zając and Zając, 2001) Both species are close genetic relatives, having almost identical biology.
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