Heracleum persicum
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID6440203a2281c229825951 |
| Scientific name | Heracleum persicum |
| Authority | Desf. ex Fisch., C.A.Mey. & Avé-Lall. |
| First published in | Index Seminum (LE, Petropolitanus) 7: 50 (1841) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
Suggest a correction!
Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Heracleum persicum is best known in traditional medicine for seed and fruit infusions used to calm digestive upset and ease colds. In Iran, a warm decoction of the ground seeds is taken for colic, bloating, and loss of appetite, and a weaker infusion is employed for cough and bronchial irritation (Avicenna’s Canon in traditional medicine compendia; Zargaran, 2010; Najafzadeh et al., 2018). Kurdish practitioners of West Azerbaijan also prepare a light seed infusion for stomach pains and wind, and sometimes steep the dried fruit to assist with catarrh and mild fever (Monajeb, 2010). In the Central Asian traditions of Turkmen communities, a tea made from the crushed seeds is drunk to relieve abdominal cramps and stimulate digestion ( ethnobotanical reports from Central Asia, including Soviet-era pharmacological surveys). Across these contexts, the aromatic seeds and fruit are the plant parts used in infusions and decoctions.
A practical preparation is a gentle seed tea: place 2–3 g (about half a small teaspoon) of crushed dried seeds in a cup of just‑boiled water, cover, and steep 10–15 minutes; drink warm in small sips up to two cups daily for mild digestive discomfort. A stronger tincture can be made by macerating 10 g of powdered seeds in 50 ml of 45% ethanol (1:5) for 10–14 days with daily shaking, then filter; the usual dose is 20–30 drops two to three times a day for indigestion. This species contains photosensitizing furanocoumarins (e.g., bergapten), so avoid sun exposure after use; pregnant and nursing women should not use it, and those on photosensitizing drugs should seek medical advice (Zargaran, 2010; WHO monographs on safety). This species has a long history of culinary use as a spice; its medicinal notes in these preparations are subtle but well attested.
Modern work shows the seed essential oil is rich in alkyl‑alkoxy‑benzenes, notably myristicin, and it exhibits antimicrobial activity in vitro, supporting the traditional digestive and antiseptic aspects (Tavakol, 2012). Today, whole, powdered, or crushed seeds are still found in Iranian bazaars for spice use, and seed tinctures are stocked by a few traditional herbalists as digestive tonics; national pharmacopoeial references keep the essential oil and safe‑use limits in view.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
- Dried seeds, marketed as the spice “golpar”.
- Essential oil, obtained from the seeds by steam distillation.
- Living plants, cultivated as ornamental garden and landscape specimens.
Food and beverages (non‑medicinal):
- The dried, ground seeds are used as a condiment in Persian cuisine, added to pickles, rice dishes, stews, soups and other savory preparations.
Fragrance and cosmetics:
- The seed essential oil is employed as a fragrance component in perfumes, soaps, lotions and other cosmetic formulations; it is also used as a natural flavoring in processed food products.
Industrial and craft applications:
- Essential oil extraction is an industrial process for the fragrance industry.
- The species is grown commercially and in private gardens for its ornamental value, providing large umbels of white flowers suitable for landscaping and cut‑flower arrangements.
Properties relevant to use:
- Seeds contain about 20 % oil by weight; the oil is dominated by monoterpenes (α‑pinene, β‑pinene) and the phenylpropene myristicin, which constitutes roughly 40 % of the oil. This profile gives a strong, characteristic aroma suitable for fragrance and flavor applications.
Sustainability and sourcing:
- Heracleum persicum is native to Iran, Turkey and the Caucasus and is cultivated in Iran for seed production. Wild populations are harvested for the spice, which can create local pressure; commercial cultivation reduces reliance on wild collection. The plant is herbaceous and not listed as threatened, but regional monitoring of wild harvesting is recommended to maintain sustainable supply.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Heracleum glabrescens | Boiss. & Hohen. | Diagn. Pl. Orient. 10: 41 (1849) |
| Heracleum amplissimum | Wender. | Index Seminum (MB, Marburgensis) 1840: 7 (1840) |
| Heracleum carmeli | hort. ex Wender. | Linnaea 15(Litt.): 101 (1841) |
| Heracleum pubescens var. persicum | (Desf. ex Fisch., C.A.Mey. & Avé-Lall.) Regel | Index Seminum (LE, Petropolitanus) 1863: 33 (1863) |
| Heracleum pubescens var. laeve | Freyn & Sint. | Oesterr. Bot. Z. 42: 123 (1892) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | hogweed |
| English | golpar |
| English | persian hogweed |
| English | tromsø palm |
| Arabic | هرقلية فارسية |
| azb | بالدیرقان |
| Czech | bolševník perský |
| German | golpar |
| Estonian | pärsia karuputk |
| Persian | گلپر |
| Finnish | tromssanpalmu |
| Finnish | persianjättiputki |
| French | berce de perse |
| Hungarian | perzsa medvetalp |
| Korean | 골파르 |
| Malayalam | ഹെരാക്ലിയം പെർസികം |
| mzn | کولک |
| Norwegian Bokmål | tromsøpalme |
| Dutch | perzische berenklauw |
| Norwegian Nynorsk | tromsøpalme |
| Slovenian | perzijski dežen |
| Swedish | tromsöloka |
| Chinese | 波斯豕草 |
| Chinese | 波斯独活 |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!
No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
-
Asia-temperate click to expand
-
Western Asia
- Iran
- Turkey
-
Western Asia
-
Europe click to expand
-
Middle Europe
- Czechoslovakia
-
Northern Europe
- Denmark
- Finland
- Iceland
- Norway
- Sweden
-
Middle Europe
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000720170 |
| Tropicos | 1700136 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:843131-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-2846111 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 94221 |
| Observations.org | 138336 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 360621 |
| NBN Atlas | NBNSYS0000003712 |
| IPNI | 843131-1 |
| iNaturalist | 516305 |
| GBIF | 3628745 |
| Freebase | /m/04g291z |
| EPPO | HERPE |
| Elurikkus | 5050 |
| USDA GRIN | 311994 |
| Wikipedia | Heracleum_persicum |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:842943-1 |
| IPNI | 842943-1 |
| GBIF | 3630673 |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Phytochemical Profile Top
Add a new one!
Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Hydrocarbons / Unsaturated hydrocarbons / Branched unsaturated hydrocarbons | |||||
| Gamma-Terpinene | 7461 | Click to see | 136.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Fatty acid esters | |||||
| Butyl butyrate | 7983 | Click to see | 144.21 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| Ethyl butyrate | 7762 | Click to see CCCC(=O)OCC | 116.16 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| Heptyl butyrate | 62592 | Click to see | 186.29 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| Hexyl butyrate | 17525 | Click to see | 172.26 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| Hexyl Hexanoate | 22873 | Click to see CCCCCCOC(=O)CCCCC | 200.32 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| Hexyl octanoate | 14228 | Click to see CCCCCCCC(=O)OCCCCCC | 228.37 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| Oct-1-EN-1-YL butanoate | 71385286 | Click to see CCCCCCC=COC(=O)CCC | 198.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| Oct-1-en-1-yl hexanoate | 71385285 | Click to see | 226.35 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Fatty acids and conjugates / Branched fatty acids / Methyl-branched fatty acids | |||||
| 2-Methylbutanoic Acid | 8314 | Click to see | 102.13 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Fatty alcohol esters | |||||
| Decyl acetate | 8167 | Click to see | 200.32 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| Octyl Acetate | 8164 | Click to see | 172.26 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| Octyl butyrate | 61030 | Click to see | 200.32 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| Octyl hexanoate | 21006 | Click to see | 228.37 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Fatty alcohols | |||||
| 1-Hexanol | 8103 | Click to see CCCCCCO | 102.17 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| 1-Octanol | 957 | Click to see CCCCCCCCO | 130.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Monoterpenoids / Acyclic monoterpenoids | |||||
| beta-OCIMENE, (3E)- | 5281553 | Click to see | 136.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| beta-Ocimene, (3Z)- | 5320250 | Click to see | 136.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| Linalool | 6549 | Click to see | 154.25 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| Myrcene | 31253 | Click to see | 136.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Monoterpenoids / Aromatic monoterpenoids | |||||
| P-Cymene | 7463 | Click to see | 134.22 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Monoterpenoids / Bicyclic monoterpenoids | |||||
| (+-)-alpha-Pinene | 6654 | Click to see | 136.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| 3-Carene | 26049 | Click to see CC1=CCC2C(C1)C2(C)C | 136.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| alpha Thujene | 6451618 | Click to see | 136.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| alpha-Thujene | 17868 | Click to see | 136.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| Beta-Pinene | 14896 | Click to see | 136.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| Camphene | 6616 | Click to see | 136.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| Sabinene | 18818 | Click to see | 136.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Monoterpenoids / Menthane monoterpenoids | |||||
| alpha-PHELLANDRENE | 7460 | Click to see CC1=CCC(C=C1)C(C)C | 136.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| Alpha-Terpinene | 7462 | Click to see | 136.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| Beta-Phellandrene | 11142 | Click to see CC(C)C1CCC(=C)C=C1 | 136.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| Limonene, (+/-)- | 22311 | Click to see CC1=CCC(CC1)C(=C)C | 136.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| Terpinolene | 11463 | Click to see | 136.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| > Organic acids and derivatives / Carboxylic acids and derivatives / Carboxylic acid derivatives / Carboxylic acid esters | |||||
| Butyl Acetate | 31272 | Click to see CCCCOC(=O)C | 116.16 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| Hexyl acetate | 8908 | Click to see | 144.21 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| > Organic acids and derivatives / Carboxylic acids and derivatives / Carboxylic acid derivatives / Carboxylic acid esters / Enol esters | |||||
| Octen-1-ol acetate | 520583 | Click to see | 170.25 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| > Organic acids and derivatives / Carboxylic acids and derivatives / Carboxylic acids | |||||
| Isobutyric Acid | 6590 | Click to see | 88.11 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| > Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Enols | |||||
| Octenol | 185984 | Click to see | 128.21 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969621 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Coumarins and derivatives / Furanocoumarins / Angular furanocoumarins | |||||
| Pimpinellin | 4825 | Click to see | 246.21 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)85242-5 |
| Vaginidiol | 11817856 | Click to see CC(C)(C1C(C2=C(O1)C=CC3=C2OC(=O)C=C3)O)O | 262.26 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)85242-5 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Coumarins and derivatives / Furanocoumarins / Psoralens | |||||
| Psoralen | 6199 | Click to see | 186.16 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)85242-5 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Coumarins and derivatives / Furanocoumarins / Psoralens / 5-methoxypsoralens | |||||
| Bergapten | 2355 | Click to see COC1=C2C=CC(=O)OC2=CC3=C1C=CO3 | 216.19 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)85242-5 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Coumarins and derivatives / Furanocoumarins / Psoralens / 8-methoxypsoralens | |||||
| Isopimpinellin | 68079 | Click to see COC1=C2C=COC2=C(C3=C1C=CC(=O)O3)OC | 246.21 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)85242-5 |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |