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.
| 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 | |
|
19; see text | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
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.
 | This Solanales article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |