Short Description
Greater burdock can grow up to 150 centimetres high.
The leaves are large and triangular to heart-shaped. They usually have a toothed margin. On the underside they have thin grey, felt-like hairs.
The erect stem is angular and spiderweb-like haired.
At first glance, the spherical flower head can be mistaken for the flower. However, it is a false flower. It consists of numerous, single, purple tubular flowers. They are surrounded by hooked, pointed bracts.
The plant forms small, nut-like fruits. They have a yellowish bristle crown.
Features
Greater burdock
Arctium lappa
spherical inflorescence
hooked bracts
In the city
In the city, greater burdock grows in stands of wild herbs on rubble sites, railway lines, paths, fences and banks. It prefers moist, nutrient-rich and loose clay soils. It is also planted as a useful plant.
Fun Facts
In Japan, a cultivated form of greater burdock is produced and its roots are prepared like black salsify.
The hook-shaped bracts of the infructescences remain attached to the fur of passing animals. The fruits are thus distributed over long distances.
The flowering period is from July to August.
It is a biennial plant. This means the plant lives for two years, but flowers only once and dies after the seeds have ripened.
- Endangerment level Germany: not endangered
- Usage:
The fruits contain almost 20 percent oil, which is used as "burdock root hair oil" for cosmetics.
It is native to Europe. In Germany it was probably introduced as a useful plant and then ran wild.
The roots contain essential oil, mucilage and sulphurous substances. They can help with skin diseases and dandruff.
Sources
Habitus, Bouba, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arctium_lappa.jpg
Blätter, Bogdan, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arctium_lappa_bgiu.jpg
Habitus, Christian Fischer, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ArctiumLappa1.jpg
Kammer, P. M. (2016) Pflanzen einfach bestimmen. Schritt für Schritt einheimische Arten kennenlernen, Bern: Haupt Verlag.
Spohn, M., Golte-Bechtle, M. & Spohn, R. (2015) Was blüht denn da? Stuttgart: Franckh Kosmos Verlag.
Page „Große Klette“. : Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Date of last revision: 24.04.2018, 12:35 UTC. URL: https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gro%C3%9Fe_Klette&oldid=176828095 (Accessed: 08.05.2018).
Bundesamt für Naturschutz (n.d.) Artensteckbriefe, URL: http://floraweb.de/pflanzenarten/artenhome.xsql?suchnr=546& (Accessed: 08.05.2018).