Withania
| Withania | |
|---|---|
| |
| Withania somnifera | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Solanales |
| Family: | Solanaceae |
| Subfamily: | Solanoideae |
| Tribe: | Physaleae |
| Genus: | Withania Pauquy (1825), nom. cons. |
| Species | |
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19; see text | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Withania is a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family, Solanaceae, with 19[1] to 23 species that are native to parts of North Africa, western Asia, south Asia, southern Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Canary Islands.[2][3] Withania was initially included within Physalis by Linnaeus in 1753 but has since become its own genus.[4] This grouping was due to the shared feature of an inflated Calyx that surrounds and protects the fruit.
Two of the species, W. somnifera (ashwagandha) and W. coagulans (ashutosh booti), are economically significant, and are cultivated in several regions for their medicinal uses.[2]
Etymology[edit]
Withania is thought to have been named in honour of Henry Witham, a British geologist and writer on fossil botany beginning in 1830.[5]
Species[edit]
19 species are accepted.[1]
- Withania adpressa Coss. ex Batt.
- Withania adunensis Vierh.
- Withania aristata (Aiton) Pauquy
- Withania chamaesarachoides (Makino) Hunz.
- Withania coagulans (Stocks) Dunal — Ashutosh booti, Indian rennet, panirband, vegetable rennet
- Withania echinata (Yatabe) Hunz.
- Withania frutescens (L.) Pauquy
- Withania grisea (Hepper & Boulos) Thulin
- Withania heterophylla (Hemsl.) Hunz.
- Withania japonica (Franch. & Sav.) Hunz.
- Withania kweichouensis (Kuang & A.M.Lu) Hunz.
- Withania qaraitica A.G.Mill. & Biagi
- Withania reichenbachii Bitter
- Withania riebeckii Schweinf.
- Withania sinensis (Hemsl.) Hunz.
- Withania sinica (Kuang & A.M.Lu) Hunz.
- Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal (synonym Withania chevalieri A.E.Gonç.) — ashwaganda, Indian ginseng, winter cherry[6][7]
- Withania sphaerocarpa Hepper & Boulos
- Withania yunnanensis (Kuang & A.M.Lu) Hunz.
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Withania Pauquy. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- ^ a b Mirjalili, M. H.; Moyano, E.; Bonfill, M.; Cusido, R. M.; Palazón, J. (2009). "Steroidal Lactones from Withania somnifera, an Ancient Plant for Novel Medicine". Molecules. 14 (7): 2373–2393. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.368.967. doi:10.3390/molecules14072373. PMC 6255378. PMID 19633611.
- ^ "Withania somnifera". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2015-02-03.
- ^ Rydberg, Per Axel (1896). "The North American Species of Physalis and related Genera". Memoirs of the Torrey Botanical Club. 4 (5): 297–374. ISSN 0097-3807.
- ^ "Withania". Electronic Flora of South Australia. Government of South Australia, Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Retrieved 2011-03-23.
- ^ "Withania coagulans (Stocks) Dunal". Flora of Pakistan. eFlora.org.
- ^ "Withania coagulans". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
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