1852 Arctium lappa L.

Syn.: Lappa officinalis All. p. p., L. major Gaertn.

This species occurs as a native plant probably in most of Europe and adjacent parts of Asia. Like other Arctium species its dispersal has been favoured by settlement and other human activities. It is said to be cultivated in Japan and widely spread in E. Asia. It has also been introduced into N. and S. America, Australia and New Zealand. A special A. lappa population in C. Asia may be distinguished as subsp. leiospermum (Juz. & C. Serg.). From Caucasus another aberrant type is reported, viz. subsp. platylepis (Boiss. & Bal.) Arene. The species s. lat. belongs today to the circumpolar plants (Hultén, Circumpol. Il, p. 208 and map 200).