Summer residents of the Novosibirsk region complain about the invasion of a poisonous weed. Dozens of people went to doctors with chemical burns. Meanwhile, there are two types of this plant: the poisonous Sosnovsky hogweed and the Siberian hogweed, in general, harmless. How to distinguish one from the other?
According to ecologist Vladimir Bykov, Sosnovsky's hogweed in bloom has a white color, in contrast to Siberian hogweed, whose flowers are greenish-yellow. It is quite simple to distinguish Sosnovsky's hogweed from our harmless and in some ways even useful hogweed. First of all, the "alien" is a giant grass that can grow up to three meters. And its hollow stem reaches a thickness of 5 - 7 centimeters in the lower part. The stem of the Sosnovsky hogweed is always, to a greater or lesser extent, covered with reddish spots.
Siberian hogweed is a small plant with lobed leaves covered with a "delicate fluff". In the hungry years of the Great Patriotic War, hogweed along with quinoa was added to borscht. According to some versions, hence the name. In folk medicine, a decoction of rhizomes, an infusion of herbs was drunk for various gastrointestinal disorders, and steamed leaves were applied to the joints for rheumatism. But, in modern conditions, experts do not advise doing this - after all, there is a risk of confusing a harmless plant and a poisonous weed.
The action of the cow parsnip does not appear immediately. Experts advise: if you come into contact with cow parsnip while working in the garden, be sure to wash your skin with cold water and soap and do not sunbathe for two days. Well, the best way to prevent burns is to work with gloves and closed clothing.
