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Withania

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Withania
Withania somnifera
Scientific classification Edit this 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

19; see text

Synonyms[1]
  • Archiphysalis Kuang (1966)
  • Hypnoticum Rodati ex Meisn. (1839)
  • Opsago Raf. (1838)
  • Physaliastrum Makino (1914)
  • Physaloides Moench (1794)
  • Puneeria Stocks (1849)
  • Scleromphalos Griff. (1854), nom. nud.

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]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Withania Pauquy. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ "Withania somnifera". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2015-02-03.
  4. ^ 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. JSTOR 43391911.
  5. ^ "Withania". Electronic Flora of South Australia. Government of South Australia, Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Retrieved 2011-03-23.
  6. ^ "Withania coagulans (Stocks) Dunal". Flora of Pakistan. eFlora.org.
  7. ^ "Withania coagulans". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 19 January 2018.