1429 Heracleum sphondylium L. complex

Within this variable Eurasiatic species several more or less well-defined subspecies are distinguished in Fl. Eur. 2/1968, p. 365 f. As they are sometimes difficult to tell apart, all of them, except subsp. montanum (Schleich.) Briq. (no. 1430), are mapped together. Subsp. sibiricum (L.) Simonkai seems, however, to occur in most of Europe. The approximate northern limit of subsp. sphondylium (syn.: subsp. australe [Hartm.] Ahlfv.) is tentatively marked on the map. N of this line a few adventive occurrences of this subspecies are known (cf. Hultén, Atlas 1971, map 1353). This species s. lat. has been introduced into N. and S. America (S. Chile) and New Zealand. Cf. also Meusel et al. 1978, map p. 319.