Ophiopogon

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Ophiopogon
Ophiopogon japonicus with fruit
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Liliopsida Order: Asparagales Family: Ruscaceae Genus: Ophiopogon Ker Gawl.
Species
See text

Ophiopogon is a genus of herbaceous perennial plants in the family Ruscaceae, formerly classified with the Liliaceae. There are about 65 species, native to warm temperate to tropical east, southeast, and south Asia. The name of the genus is derived from Greek ophis, "snake", and pogon, "beard", most probably referring to its leaves.^[1][2][3]

They grow from short rhizomes, and bear tufts of leaves, from which flowers emerge in racemes held on short stems above the leaves.

Selected species

Ophiopogon albimarginatus Ophiopogon amblyphyllus Ophiopogon angustifoliatus Ophiopogon bockianus Ophiopogon bodinieri Ophiopogon chingii Ophiopogon clarkei Ophiopogon clavatus Ophiopogon corifolius Ophiopogon dracaenoides Ophiopogon filipes Ophiopogon fooningensis Ophiopogon grandis Ophiopogon heterandrus Ophiopogon hongjiangensis Ophiopogon intermedius Ophiopogon jaburan

Ophiopogon japonicus Ophiopogon jiangchengensis Ophiopogon latifolius Ophiopogon lushuiensis Ophiopogon mairei Ophiopogon marmoratus Ophiopogon megalanthus Ophiopogon menglianensis Ophiopogon motouensis Ophiopogon multiflorus Ophiopogon ogisui Ophiopogon paniculatus Ophiopogon peliosanthoides Ophiopogon pingbienensis Ophiopogon planiscapus Ophiopogon platyphyllus Ophiopogon pseudotonkinensis

Ophiopogon reptans Ophiopogon reversus Ophiopogon revolutus Ophiopogon sarmentosus Ophiopogon sinensis Ophiopogon sparsiflorus Ophiopogon stenophyllus Ophiopogon sylvicola Ophiopogon szechuanensis Ophiopogon tienensis Ophiopogon tonkinensis Ophiopogon tsaii Ophiopogon umbraticola Ophiopogon xylorrhizus Ophiopogon yunnanensis Ophiopogon zingiberaceus

[edit] Cultivation and uses

Some species such as Ophiopogon japonicus and Ophiopogon planiscapus are used as ground cover plants.

In Chinese medicine the tuber of Ophiopogon japonicus, known as mai men dong, is the cardinal herb for yin deficiency. According to the Chinese Herbal Medicine Materia Medica, the herb is sweet, slightly bitter and slightly cold, enters the heart, lung and stomach channels and nourishes the yin of the stomach, spleen, heart and lungs and clears heat and quiets irritability. It is used for hacking dry coughs, dry tongue and mouth and constipation. Liriope (genus) is used as a substitute.^[4]

[edit] References