Creature 328: Heracleum mantegazzianum

A plant that makes you act like a vampire

Heracleum mantegazzianum is commonly known as giant hogweed or many other names, most of which sound quite nasty.

It grows up to 5.5 meters tall and has a pretty nasty toxic defense. Unlike most plants, this thing doesn't need to wait until you eat it to poison you. If it comes in contact with your skin a chemical sticks to you. When that chemical is exposed to sunlight it starts reacting and causes severe irritation and burns to your skin. It is not fatal but in some cases hospitalizations might be necessary.

Distribution:
The giant hogweed is native to central Asia but for some reason I will never understand we have introduced it into several other areas.

Classification:
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Angiosperms
Class: Dicotyledon
Order: Apiales
Family: Apiaceae
Genus: Heracleum
Species: Heracleum mantegazzianum

Images Links:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Heracleum_mantegazzianum_(Meise)_JPG1a.jpg

http://ohioline.osu.edu/anr-fact/hogweed.html

Creature 190: Azorella compacta

A Patient plant

Description:
Azorella compacta is a funny looking plant which is commonly known as Llareta (as in in Spanish ll).

It may look a little like a giant ball of moss, but it is a flowering plant, or a colony of flowering plants anyway. They grow in dense colonies in order to prevent heat loss at the high altitudes they it lives. Some llareta plants are estimated to be 3,000 years old. Of course when you live that long there is really no hurry, and they only grow at a rate of around 1.5 cm per year.

Distribution:
Llareta can only be found in the Andes mountains at atitudes between 3000 and 4500 m.

Classification:
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Angiosperms
Class: Dicotyledon
Order: Apiales
Family: Apiaceae
Genus: Azorella
Species: Azorella compacta

Image Links:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/349943833516826887/

http://www.myrokan.com/