description
Arctium lappa, or burdock, is a biennial plant in the Asteraceae family.
Burdock is rather tall, reaching as much as 9 feet (2.7 m). It has large,
alternating, cordiform leaves that have a long petiole and are pubescent on
the underside. The flowers are purple and grouped in globular capitula,
united in clusters. They appear in mid-summer, from July to September. The
capitula are surrounded by aninvolucre made out of many bracts, each curving
to form a hook, allowing them to be carried long distances on the fur of
animals. The fruits are achenes; they are long, compressed, with short
pappuses. The fleshy tap-root can grow up to 3 feet (0.91 m) deep.
common names & nomenclature
Burdock comes from the Middle English burre from Scandinavian; akin to
Danish burre, Swedish borre – referencing the burr that can stick to animal
fur to be carried long distances.
Also known as:
greater burdock, gobo, edible burdock, lappa, beggar’s buttons, hardock, hurrburr, happy major, hareburr, philanthropium, niu bang zi, turkey burrseed, fox’s clote, bardana, cocklebur, personata, grass burdock, clotbur, burr seed, cockle buttons, lappa, thorny burr, love leaves