| Ligusticum | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Ligusticum mutellinoides
|
||||||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
| Species | ||||||||||||||||
|
See text |
Ligusticum is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the family Apiaceae, native to cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Its name is believed to derive from the Italian region of Liguria.[1]
They are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Mouse Moth which has been recorded on L. scoticum.
Species
- Ligusticum ajanense
- Ligusticum apiifolium - Celeryleaf Licorice-root
- Ligusticum brachylobum
- Ligusticum calderi - Calder's Licorice-root
- Ligusticum californicum - California Licorice-root
- Ligusticum canadense - Canadian Licorice-root
- Ligusticum canbyi - Canby's Licorice-root
- Ligusticum filicinum - Fernleaf Licorice-root
- Ligusticum gingidium
- Ligusticum grayi - Gray's Licorice-root
- Ligusticum holopetalum
- Ligusticum hultenii
- Ligusticum huteri
- Ligusticum ibukicola
- Ligusticum jeholense
- Ligusticum monnieri
- Ligusticum mutellina - Alpine Lovage
- Ligusticum mutellinoides - Small Alpine Lovage
- Ligusticum porteri - Osha or Porter's Licorice-root
- Ligusticum scoticum - Scots Lovage
- Ligusticum sinense - Kao-pau
- Ligusticum tenuifolium - Idaho Licorice-root
- Ligusticum vaginatum
- Ligusticum verticillatum - Northern Licorice-root
- Ligusticum wallichii - Chuānxiōng
Uses
The roots of two species are used as medicinal herbs. L. wallichii is one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in Chinese herbology, where it is called chuānxiōng (川芎); in English, Szechwan Lovage.[2] L. porteri (Osha) is used in Western herbal medicine.
Ligusticum wallichii (Ligusticum) root or L. porteri (Osha) root can be soaked in ethanol (whisky, vodka, etc.) for at least a month. The resulting tincture is an effective, though pungent, liniment for sore muscles that can be stored (in a cool place) indefinitely.
References
- ^ Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan ISBN 0-333-47494-5.
- ^ Page about use in Chinese medicine
 |
This Apiaceae article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
