Heracleum abyssinicum (Boiss.) C.Norman

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident

Umbelliferae, C.C. Townsend. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1989

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, 0.2–1.8(–2.5 when growing in and supported by bushes) m., with fistular, sulcate-striate, densely pilose stems; stems 3–8 mm. wide below, simple or frequently with one or more long, ascending branches from the lower half upwards, branches with much-reduced leaves.

Morphology Leaves

Basal leaves several, ± narrowly oblong in outline, ± 8–23 × 2–8 cm., simply pinnate with 3–7 pairs of roundish to ovate or broadly deltoid, 1–4.5 × 0.8–5 cm. irregularly incised-dentate to subpinnatifid leaflets, teeth blunt to subacute, mucronate; indumentum ± generally distributed over both surfaces but densest on the veins and margins; sheaths striate, rather narrow, ± 1.5–3 × 0.8–1 cm.; petiole ± 4–11 cm.; median stem leaves shortly petiolate or sessile on the sheaths, leaflets similar or more sharply dentate and/or with narrower segments; sheaths not very broad and inflated, ± 1–2.5 × 0.8–1 cm.; uppermost leaves much reduced, often with a very small lamina; sheaths small, up to ± 2 × 0.8 cm.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Umbels several, on sulcate peduncles 2.5–12 cm. long; rays (4–)6–18, sulcate, densely pilose, 1.5–6 cm.; involucre usually present but sometimes very small, of ± 3–6 narrowly linear or broader bracts mostly ± 3–10 mm. long; partial umbels ± 15–35-flowered, pedicels 3–10 mm., commonly furnished with dense and broad-based tuberculiform hairs and fewer, clearly marked off, longer glandular hairs, sometimes with short tuberculiform hairs only; involucels of 4–9 linear bracteoles 2–7 mm. in length, rarely exceeding the pedicels in young fruit.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx-teeth narrowly triangular to linear, sometimes persistent in fruit, ± 0.5 mm.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers white or creamy, the outermost petals of the outer partial umbels slightly radiate, cordate, 1.5–3 mm.; inner petals oblong-obovate with an incurved tip, ± 1.25 mm.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit obovate to oblong-obovate, 7–12 × 5–8 mm., thinly pilose throughout; stylopodia conical, not exceeding the apical notch of the fruit; styles arcuate-recurved, 1.5–2 mm.; vittae 4 dorsally, 2 on the commissure, all reaching to near the base or the commissural somewhat shorter.

Habitat

Most frequently in montane damp grassland, often at or near forest margins, also in long grass on cliffledges, in beds of dried-up stream in Erica-Protea community, among rocks in volcanic craters, also recorded from previously burned Erica-Hypericum-Protea bushland; 1900–3340 m.

Distribution

K1 K3 K4 K6 T2 T7 U1 U3