Ligusticum

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ligusticum

Ligusticum mutellinoides

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Apiales
Family:	Apiaceae
Tribe:	Selineae
Genus:	Ligusticum L.

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.

[edit] 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 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

[edit] 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.