Amsonia orientalis

European bluestar
Conservation status
Critically Endangered  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Gentianales
Family:	Apocynaceae
Genus:	Amsonia
Species:	A. orientalis
Binomial name
Amsonia orientalis Decne.
Synonyms [2]
Rhazya orientalis(Decne.) A.DC. Rhazya thracicaDavidov

Amsonia orientalis, the European bluestar, is a species of flower in the dogbane family. It is found in European Turkey, and may be extirpated from Greece. ^[2] Other historical populations appear to be lost. It is threatened by habitat loss, collection for ornamental use, and over-harvesting for research. It contains many glycosides and glycoalkaloids, and also has broad antimicrobial activity.

Amsonia orientalis is the only European member of its genus. One other species ( Amsonia elliptica (Thunb.) Roem. & Schult.) is found in East Asia, ^[3] while all the others are native to North America. ^[2]

Alkaloids

Rhazya orientalis contains some alkaloids: ^{[4] [5]}

References

1. Kavak, S. (2014). "Amsonia orientalis". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2014. IUCN: e.T165189A22609470. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-1.RLTS.T165189A22609470.en . Retrieved 5 January 2018.
2. Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
3. Flora of China Vol. 16 Page 156 水甘草 shui gan cao Amsonia elliptica (Thunberg ex Murray) Roemer & Schultes, Syst. Veg. 4: 432. 1819.
4. Cordell, G. A., Smith, G. F., Smith, G. N. (1970). "The isolation of monomeric secodine-type alkaloids from Rhazya species". Journal of the Chemical Society D: Chemical Communications (4): 189. doi:10.1039/c29700000189.
5. Brown, R. T., Smith, G. F., Stapleford, K. S. J., Taylor, D. A. (1970). "The occurrence of 16,17,15,20-tetrahydrosecodine in Rhazya orientalis". Journal of the Chemical Society D: Chemical Communications (4): 190. doi:10.1039/c29700000190.

}