Ammi majus

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Ammi majus
Ammi majus Sturm8.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Apiales
Family: Apiaceae
Genus: Ammi
Species:
A. majus
Binomial name
Ammi majus
L.
Synonyms [2]
Synonyms list
    • Aethusa ammiSpreng.
    • Ammi boeberiHell. ex Hoffm.
    • Ammi broussonetiiDC.
    • Ammi cicutifoliumWilld. ex Schult.
    • Ammi elatumSalisb.
    • Ammi glaucifoliumL.
    • Ammi intermediumDC.
    • Ammi pauciradiatumHochst. ex A.Rich.
    • Ammi pumilum(Brot.) DC.
    • Anethum pinnatumRuiz & Pav. ex Urban
    • Apium ammiCrantz nom. illeg.
    • Apium ammi-maiusCrantz
    • Apium candolleiM.Hiroe
    • Apium petraeumCrantz
    • Apium pumilum(Brot.) Calest. nom. illeg.
    • Carum majus(L.) Koso-Pol.
    • Cuminum aethiopicumRoyle
    • Cuminum regiumRoyle
    • Daucus glaberParsa nom. illeg.
    • Daucus parsaeM.Hiroe
    • Selinum ammoidesE.H.L. Krause
    • Sison pumilumBrot.

Ammi majus, commonly called bishop's flower, false bishop's weed, laceflower , bullwort, etc., is a member of the carrot family Apiaceae. The plant, which has white lace-like flower clusters, has a large distribution through Southern Europe, North Africa and West and Central Asia, though it is hypothesized to be native to the Nile River Valley.

Contents

Nomenclature

The plant [3] is called by various common names: bishop's flower [4] [5] [6] or bishop's weed [7] (false bishop's weed [8] ); [lower-alpha 1] laceflower, [9] [5] [6] lady's lace [5] or false Queen Anne's lace; [4] [5] [lower-alpha 2] bullwort [10] [5] (large bullwort); [4] white dill [6] and greater ammi. [11] [12]

It is known in Arabic as hirz al-shayateen (حِرز الشياطين) or khella/khilla shaitani (خلة شیطانی). [4]

The plant is also introduced into China, where it is called da a min qin (Chinese :大阿米芹) and cultivated in medicinal farms. [13] [4]

Description

Ammi majus is an herbaceous annual, [5] [13] or a biennial that behaves like an annual, in cultivation. [14]

The lower leaves are 1-2-pinnate, upper leaves 2(-3)-pinnate with serrate lobes. [10]

The inflorescence is compound umbel; [4] they are white umbrella-shaped flowers like those of Queen Anne's lace, [5] blooming June–July and fruiting July–August. [13]

Distribution

Considered indigenous to Egypt, [15] or parts of Europe and the Middle East/West Asia. [5] [4] It is also found scattered in the British Isles, in North and Central Scotland, [10] widely distributed in the Mediterranean region (including Southern Europe [10] and North Africa [4] ), as well as West Africa and Abyssinia. [15]

Uses

In Egypt around 2000 BC, the juice of Ammi majus was rubbed on patches of vitiligo [16] after which patients were encouraged to lie in the sun. [17] In the 13th century, vitiligo was treated with a tincture of honey and the powdered seeds of a plant called "aatrillal," which was abundant in the Nile River Valley. The plant has since been identified as A. majus, [18] but the trade name Aatrillal is still used today to refer to the yellowish-brown powder made from its seeds.

Ammi majus contains significant amounts of furanocoumarins bergapten and xanthotoxin (also known as methoxsalen), two psoralen derivatives well known for their photosensitizing effects. Indeed, A. majus may well be the world's major source of methoxsalen. [17]

The practice of using Ammi majus to treat vitiligo implicitly acknowledges the hyperpigmentation effects caused by exposure to a photosensitizing agent (such as methoxsalen) followed by ultraviolet radiation. An excess of either the photosensitizing agent or subsequent UV exposure can lead to phytophotodermatitis, [17] [19] a serious skin inflammation. Despite this danger, A. majus is cultivated for its furanocoumarins, which are still used for the treatment of skin disease, particularly the furanocoumarin xanthotoxin also known as "ammoidin" and by the brand name "Oxsoralen". [20] [21]

Cultivation

Like its close relative Ammi visnaga , A. majus and its cultivars are frequently seen in gardens where they are grown from seed annually. The species [22] and the cultivar 'Graceland' [23] have both gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Explanatory notes

  1. "bishop's weed" being an ambiguous name that could be confused with Aegopodium podagraria. [5]
  2. As opposed to the true "Queen Anne's lace" ( Daucus carota ). [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apiaceae</span> Family of flowering plants

Apiaceae or Umbelliferae is a family of mostly aromatic flowering plants named after the type genus Apium and commonly known as the celery, carrot or parsley family, or simply as umbellifers. It is the 16th-largest family of flowering plants, with more than 3,800 species in about 446 genera, including such well-known and economically important plants as ajwain, angelica, anise, asafoetida, caraway, carrot, celery, chervil, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel, lovage, cow parsley, parsley, parsnip and sea holly, as well as silphium, a plant whose identity is unclear and which may be extinct.

<i>Citrus</i> Genus of flowering plants

Citrus is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus Citrus is native to South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Melanesia, and Australia. Various citrus species have been used and domesticated by indigenous cultures in these areas since ancient times. From there its cultivation spread into Micronesia and Polynesia by the Austronesian expansion ; and to the Middle East and the Mediterranean via the incense trade route, and onwards to Europe and the Americas.

<i>Heracleum maximum</i> Species of flowering plant

Heracleum maximum, commonly known as cow parsnip, is the only member of the genus Heracleum native to North America. It is also known as American cow-parsnip, Satan celery, Indian celery, Indian rhubarb, poison turnip or pushki.

PUVA is an ultraviolet light therapy treatment for skin diseases: vitiligo, eczema, psoriasis, graft-versus-host disease, mycosis fungoides, large plaque parapsoriasis, and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, using the sensitizing effects of the drug psoralen. The psoralen is applied or taken orally to sensitize the skin, then the skin is exposed to UVA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Methoxsalen</span> Chemical compound

Methoxsalen, sold under the brand name Oxsoralen among others, is a medication used to treat psoriasis, eczema, vitiligo, and some cutaneous lymphomas in conjunction with exposing the skin to ultraviolet (UVA) light from lamps or sunlight. Methoxsalen modifies the way skin cells receive the UVA radiation, allegedly clearing up the disease. Levels of individual patient PUVA exposure were originally determined using the Fitzpatrick scale. The scale was developed after patients demonstrated symptoms of phototoxicity after oral ingestion of methoxsalen followed by PUVA therapy. Chemically, methoxsalen belongs to a class of organic natural molecules known as furanocoumarins. They consist of coumarin annulated with furan. It can also be injected and used topically.

<i>Ribes sanguineum</i> Species of flowering plant in the gooseberry family Grossulariaceae

Ribes sanguineum, the flowering currant, redflower currant, red-flowering currant, or red currant is a North American species of flowering plant in the family Grossulariaceae, native to the western United States and Canada.

<i>Polystichum setiferum</i> Species of fern

Polystichum setiferum, the soft shield fern, is an evergreen or semi-evergreen fern native to southern and western Europe. The stalks and most midribs are coated with attractive cinnamon-brown scales. The Latin specific epithet setiferum means "with bristles".

<i>Antirrhinum majus</i> Species of flowering plant

Antirrhinum majus, the common snapdragon, is a species of flowering plant belonging to the genus Antirrhinum. The plant was placed in the family Plantaginaceae following a revision of its prior classical family, Scrophulariaceae.

<i>Asparagus setaceus</i> Species of plant

Asparagus setaceus, commonly known as common asparagus fern, asparagus grass, lace fern, climbing asparagus, or ferny asparagus, is a climbing plant in the genus Asparagus. Despite its common name, the plant is not a true fern, but has leaves that resemble one.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khellin</span> Chemical compound

Khellin has been used as an herbal folk medicine, with use in the Mediterranean dating back to Ancient Egypt, to treat a variety of maladies including: renal colic, kidney stones, coronary disease, bronchial asthma, vitiligo, and psoriasis. It is a major constituent of the plant Ammi visnaga, also known as Bishop's Weed. Once purified, khellin exists as colorless, odorless, bitter-tasting needle-shaped crystals and is classified as a gamma-pyrone, a furanochromone derivative. In the early 20th century, researchers searched for khellin analogs with lower toxicity and better efficacy. A number of drugs were discovered through this research, such as amiodarone and cromolyn sodium, which are used in current medical practice. Efloxate is also mentioned as analog.

<i>Ammi</i> (plant) Genus of flowering plants

Ammi is a genus of about six species of summer-flowering plants in the carrot family Apiaceae. They are native to southern Europe, northern Africa and south-western Asia. They have fern-like leaves and white or cream coloured lace-like flowers borne in branched, rounded umbels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Furanocoumarin</span> Class of organic chemical compounds

The furanocoumarins, or furocoumarins, are a class of organic chemical compounds produced by a variety of plants. Most of the plant species found to contain furanocoumarins belong to a handful of plant families. The families Apiaceae and Rutaceae include the largest numbers of plant species that contain furanocoumarins. The families Moraceae and Fabaceae include a few widely distributed plant species that contain furanocoumarins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phytophotodermatitis</span> Medical condition

Phytophotodermatitis, also known as berloque dermatitis or margarita photodermatitis, is a cutaneous phototoxic inflammatory reaction resulting from contact with a light-sensitizing botanical agent followed by exposure to ultraviolet light. Symptoms include erythema, edema, blisters, and delayed hyperpigmentation. Heat and moisture tend to exacerbate the reaction.

<i>Visnaga daucoides</i> Species of plant

Visnaga daucoides is a species of flowering plant in the carrot family known by many common names, including toothpick-plant, toothpickweed, bisnaga, khella, or sometimes bishop's weed. It is native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa, but it can be found throughout the world as an introduced species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bergapten</span> Chemical compound

Bergapten (5-methoxypsoralen) is a naturally-occurring organic chemical compound produced by numerous plant species, especially from the carrot family Apiaceae and the citrus family Rutaceae. For example, bergapten has been extracted from 24 species of the genus Heracleum in the family Apiaceae. In the family Rutaceae, various Citrus species contain significant amounts of bergapten, especially the bergamot orange, the micrantha, and certain varieties of lime and bitter orange.

<i>Myrtus communis</i> Species of flowering plant

Myrtus communis, the common myrtle or true myrtle, is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae. It is an evergreen shrub native to southern Europe, North Africa, Western Asia, Macaronesia, and the Indian Subcontinent, and also cultivated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fig</span> Species of flowering plant known as the common fig

The fig is the edible fruit of Ficus carica, a species of small tree in the flowering plant family Moraceae, native to the Mediterranean region, together with western and southern Asia. It has been cultivated since ancient times and is now widely grown throughout the world. Ficus carica is the type species of the genus Ficus, containing over 800 tropical and subtropical plant species.

<i>Tulbaghia violacea</i> Species of flowering plant

Tulbaghia violacea, commonly known as society garlic, pink agapanthus, wild garlic, sweet garlic, spring bulbs, or spring flowers, is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae, indigenous to southern Africa, and reportedly naturalized in Tanzania and Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angelicin</span> Chemical compound

Angelicin is the parent compound in a family of naturally occurring organic compounds known as the angular furanocoumarins. Structurally, it can be considered as benzapyra-2-one fused with a furan moiety in the 7,8-position. Angelicin is commonly found in certain Apiaceae and Fabaceae plant species such as Bituminaria bituminosa. It has a skin permeability coefficient (LogKp) of -2.46. The maximum absorption is observed at 300 nm. The 1HNMR spectrum is available; the infrared and mass spectra of angelicin can be found in this database. The sublimation of angelicin occurs at 120 °C and the pressure of 0.13 Pa. Angelicin is a coumarin.

The micrantha is a wild citrus from the papeda group, native to southern Philippines, particularly islands of Cebu and Bohol. Two varieties are recognized: small-flowered papeda, locally known as biasong, and small-fruited papeda or samuyao.

References

Citations
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  2. The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species , retrieved 20 December 2015
  3. "Ammi majus". Germplasm Resources Information Network . Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture . Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Quattrocchi, Umberto (2012), "Ammi majus", CRC World Dictionary of Medicinal and Poisonous Plants: Common Names, Scientific Names, Eponyms, Synonyms, and Etymology (5 Volume Set), CRC Press, p. 244, ISBN   978-1-4822-5064-0
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Walliser, Jessica (2014), "Ammi majus", Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden: A Natural Approach to Pest Control, Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, pp. 114–115, ISBN   9781604693881
  6. 1 2 3 Tenenbaum, Frances (2003), "A. majus", Taylor's Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, p. 25, ISBN   9780618226443
  7. Lazarides, M.; Hince, B. (1993). CSIRO Handbook of Economic Plants of Australia. apud GRIN
  8. Erhardt, W. et al. (2002). Zander Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen: Dictionary of plants 17. Auflage apud GRIN
  9. Hanelt, P., ed. (2001). Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1–6. apud GRIN
  10. 1 2 3 4 Stace, Clive A. (1995) [1991]. New flora of the British Isles. 1st edition. Cambridge University Press. apud GRIN. 3rd edition (2010), p. 823
  11. Rehm, S. (1994). Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants. apud GRIN
  12. Other common names listed are: crow's foot; devil's carrot; herb william; honey plant; mayweed. [4]
  13. 1 2 3 She, Menglan 佘孟兰; Watson, Mark F. (2005). "43. AMMI Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 243. 1753." 阿米芹属 (PDF). Flora of China. Vol. 13. pp. 80–81.
  14. Niir (2006), p. 266.
  15. 1 2 Niir (2006), p. 265.
  16. Marshall, Scott R (2006). "Technology Insight: ECP for the treatment of GvHD—can we offer selective immune control without generalized immunosuppression?". Nature Clinical Practice Oncology . Nature Publishing. 3 (6): 302–314. doi:10.1038/ncponc0511. ISSN   1743-4254.
  17. 1 2 3 McGovern, Thomas W; Barkley, Theodore M (2000). "Botanical Dermatology". The Electronic Textbook of Dermatology. Internet Dermatology Society. 37 (5). Section Phytophotodermatitis. doi:10.1046/j.1365-4362.1998.00385.x. PMID   9620476. S2CID   221810453 . Retrieved October 7, 2018.
  18. Wyss, P. (2000). "History of Photomedicine". In Wyss, P.; Tadir, Y.; Tromberg, B. J.; Haller, U. (eds.). Photomedicine in Gynecology and Reproduction. Basel: Karger. pp. 4–11. doi:10.1159/000062800. ISBN   3-8055-6905-X.
  19. Alouani, I.; Fihmi, N.; Zizi, N.; Dikhaye, S. (2018). "Phytophotodermatitis following the use of Ammi Majus Linn (Bishop's weed) for vitiligo" (PDF). Our Dermatol. Online. 9 (1): 93–94. doi: 10.7241/ourd.20181.29 .
  20. "Plants For A Future: Ammi majus".
  21. Niir (2006), pp. 266–267.
  22. "RHS Plantfinder – Ammi majus". Royal Horticultural Society. 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  23. "RHS Plantfinder – Ammi majus 'Graceland'". Royal Horticultural Society. 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
Bibliography

Niir Board of Consultants and Engineers (2006), "Chapter 22: Cultivation of Ammi Majus Linn, in India", Cultivation and Processing of Selected Medicinal Plants: Small Scale Medicinal plants Processing Projects, Starting a Medicinal plants Processing Business, How to Start a Medicinal plants Production Business, Medicinal plants Based Small Scale Industries Projects, new small scale ideas in ..., Delhi: Asia Pacific Business Press Inc., pp. 265–270, ISBN   9788178330037