''Heracleum persicum'', commonly known as Persian hogweed or by its native name ''golpar'' (), is a species of hogweed, a

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

herbaceous plant in the carrot family

Apiaceae Apiaceae () or Umbelliferae is a family of mostly aromatic flowering plants named after the type genus ''Apium,'' and commonly known as the celery, carrot, or parsley family, or simply as umbellifers. It is the 16th-largest family of flowering p ...

. It grows wild in humid mountainous regions in Iran and some adjacent areas. Having been introduced in the 1830s, it has spread across

Scandinavia Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...

. It is now very common in northern

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

, where one of its names is Tromsø palm (after the city of

Tromsø Tromsø is a List of towns and cities in Norway, city in Tromsø Municipality in Troms county, Norway. The city is the administrative centre of the municipality as well as the administrative centre of Troms county. The city is located on the is ...

). The plant has also been spotted in Sweden. In Finland, it has been declared an invasive species. Persian hogweed is a

polycarpic Polycarpic plants are those that flower and set seeds many times before dying. A term of identical meaning is pleonanthic and iteroparous. Polycarpic plants are able to reproduce multiple times due to at least some portion of its meristems being ...

perennial, that is, a mature plant flowers and bears fruit season after season.

Invasiveness status

In Europe, Persian hogweed is included since 2016 in the list of Invasive Alien Species of Union concern (the Union list). This implies that this species cannot be imported, cultivated, transported, commercialized, planted, or intentionally released into the environment in the whole of the European Union.

Uses

Food uses

The seeds are used as a spice in Persian cooking. The very thin, small mericarps (seed-like fruits) are aromatic and slightly bitter. They are usually sold in powdered form and are often erroneously sold as "

angelica ''Angelica'' is a genus of about 90 species of tall Biennial plant, biennial and Perennial plant, perennial herbaceous, herbs in the family Apiaceae, native to temperate and subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere, reaching as far north as ...

seeds". The powder is sprinkled over

broad bean ''Vicia faba'', commonly known as the broad bean, fava bean, or faba bean, is a species of vetch, a flowering plant in the pea and bean family Fabaceae. It is widely cultivated as a crop for human consumption, and also as a cover crop. Vari ...

lentil The lentil (''Vicia lens'' or ''Lens culinaris'') is an annual plant, annual legume grown for its Lens (geometry), lens-shaped edible seeds or ''pulses'', also called ''lentils''. It is about tall, and the seeds grow in Legume, pods, usually w ...

s and other

legume Legumes are plants in the pea family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seeds of such plants. When used as a dry grain for human consumption, the seeds are also called pulses. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consum ...

s, and potatoes. Golpar is also used in soups and stews, or sprinkled over

pomegranate The pomegranate (''Punica granatum'') is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub in the family Lythraceae, subfamily Punica, Punicoideae, that grows between tall. Rich in symbolic and mythological associations in many cultures, it is thought to have o ...

arils. Golpar is also mixed with vinegar into which broad beans are dipped before eating. Golpar can be used in small amounts (1 or 2 tsp per pound) when cooking beans and is alleged to reduce the effect of gas in the digestive tract associated with consuming beans. In

Persian cuisine Iranian cuisine comprises the culinary traditions of Iran. Due to the historically common usage of the term "Name of Iran, Persia" to refer to Iran in the Western world,Yarshater, EhsaPersia or Iran, Persian or Farsi, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. ...

, the petals are used in the spice mixture ''

advieh ''Advieh'' () means spice in the Persian language and it is a spice mixture used in Iranian cuisine. It is used in rice dishes, as well as in chicken and bean dishes. Although its specific composition varies from the Persian Gulf to the Caspian ...

'' to flavor rice dishes, as well as in chicken, fish, and bean dishes. The tender leaves and leaf stalks can also be pickled (known as ''golpar torshi'').

Chemical composition

The chemicals composition in golpar (Persian hogweed) are: hexyl acetate, acetyl acetate,

methyl butyrate Methyl butyrate, also known under the systematic name methyl butanoate, is the methyl ester of butyric acid. Like most esters, it has a fruity odor, in this case resembling apples or pineapples. At room temperature, it is a colorless liquid with ...

, ethyl butyrate, and various other

acids An acid is a molecule or ion capable of either donating a proton (i.e. hydrogen cation, H+), known as a Brønsted–Lowry acid, or forming a covalent bond with an electron pair, known as a Lewis acid. The first category of acids are the ...

that are responsible for its pungent smell. Also, there is a kind of oily and volatile

essential oil An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile (easily evaporated at normal temperatures) chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetheroleum, or simply as the ...

in the ''Heracleum persicum'' plant, which is used to flavor some foods.

Public health and safety

The sap of the Tromsø palm contains

furanocoumarins The furanocoumarins, or furocoumarins, are a class of organic chemical compounds produced by a variety of plants. Most of the plant species found to contain furanocoumarins belong to a handful of plant families. The families Apiaceae and Rutacea ...

, which in combination with

ultraviolet Ultraviolet radiation, also known as simply UV, is electromagnetic radiation of wavelengths of 10–400 nanometers, shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays. UV radiation is present in sunlight and constitutes about 10% of ...

light, leads to

phytophotodermatitis Phytophotodermatitis, also known as berloque dermatitis,, margarita photodermatitis,, lime disease or lime phytodermatitis is a cutaneous phototoxic inflammatory reaction resulting from contact with a light-sensitizing botanical agent (such as ...

. There is some anecdotal evidence that ''H. persicum'' may be less dangerous than ''H. mantegazzianum'' with respect to

phototoxicity Phototoxicity, also called photoirritation, is a chemically induced skin irritation, requiring light, that does not involve the immune system. It is a type of photosensitivity. The skin response resembles an exaggerated sunburn. The involved chem ...

Control measures

Known ways to fight Tromsø palm are the constant cutting of new shoots. When cutting down, protective equipment is recommended, and metal cutting tools should be cleaned after use because the juice is oxidizing.

References

External links

Analysis of the Oil of ''Heracleum persicum'' L. (seeds and stems) ''Heracleum persicum'', ''Heracleum glabrescens''
* {{Taxonbar, from=Q1418112 Apioideae Edible Apiaceae Medicinal plants of Asia Spices Iranian cuisine