Moringa (genus)

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Moringa
Moringa ovalifolia.jpg
M. ovalifolia in Namibia
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Brassicales
Family: Moringaceae
Martinov [1]
Genus: Moringa
Adans. [2]
Type species
Moringa oleifera
Species

See text

Synonyms

DonaldsoniaBaker f.
HyperantheraForssk. [2]

Moringa is the sole genus in the plant family Moringaceae. It contains 13 species, which occur in tropical and subtropical regions of Africa and Asia and that range in size from tiny herbs to massive trees. Moringa species grow quickly in many types of environments.

Contents

The most widely cultivated species is Moringa oleifera , native to the foothills of the Himalayas in northwestern India, [4] a multipurpose tree cultivated throughout the tropics and marketed as a dietary supplement, health food or source for herbalism practices. [5] The fruit pods of Moringa oleifera ("drumsticks") are increasingly consumed as food in many parts of the world, but particularly in South Asia. [6] The leaves are commonly used to make tea. Oils are made from the seeds, while powders can be made from the leaves and roots.

M. stenopetala , an African species, is also widely grown, but to a much lesser extent than M. oleifera.

The genus name is derived from murungai, the Tamil word for drumstick,[ citation needed ] and in India the plant[ which? ] is commonly referred to as the drumstick tree. [7]

Description

Moringa is considered one of the most widely diverse genera for its size ranging from small shrubs ( M. pygmaea ) to large pachycaul trees ( M. ovalifolia ). [8]

Growth habit

Moringa contains a wide range of growth habits that may be subdivided into the following categories:

Leaves

Leaves are typically pinnately compound with entire margins.

Flowers

Flowers may be either bilaterally or radially symmetric. [8] Bottle trees typically produce small, radially symmetric flowers, while other members of the genus produce radially symmetric flowers. Most flowers range in color from white to cream to brown with the notable exception of M. longituba which produces bright red flowers.

Fruit

Fruits are typically elongated, slender, 3-valved "pods" resembling an indehiscent silique (in contrast with a true dehiscent silique). [9] Fruits of M. oleifera (drumstick), are a major agricultural product of India, eaten as a vegetable and used for traditional medicine. [9]

Phytochemistry

Moringa contain a number of sulfurous biochemical compounds called "mustard-oil glycosides" or glucosinolates commonly found in cruciferous vegetables of Brassicaceae. Benzyl glucosinolate along with family-specific glucomoringin and glucosoonjnain have been detected from various Moringa species and are thought to be the cause of the bitter taste in some Moringa leaves. [10] [11]

Taxonomy

Higher-level classification

The monotypic family, Moringaceae, containing genus Moringa has been placed in the order Brassicales according to most modern taxonomic systems, including the APG IV system. [12] Molecular data has suggested a close relationship between Moringaceae and Caricaceae with many identifying a "Caricaceae-Moringaceae" clade within Brassicales. [12] [13] Prior to the availability of molecular data, morphological classification of Moringaceae placed the family in either Brassicales or Sapindales due to the unusual morphological diversity of the family. [14]

Classification within the genus

Moringa contains three widely recognized clades—Donaldsonia, Moringa, and Dysmoringa. [15] Donaldsonia, once thought to be a subgenus of Moringa, is a non-monophyletic clade identifiable by radially symmetric flowers and containing the bottle trees M. drouhardii, M. hildebrandtii, M. ovalifolia, and M. stenopetala. [8] The Moringa clade contains all other members of genus Moringa (except M. longituba) characterized by irregular floral symmetry, perigynous flowers, and short receptacles. [15] The Dysmoringa clade contains the species M. longituba which diverges from common Moringa clade characteristics due to its long receptacle and red flowers. [8] The exact phylogenetic relationship between members of Moringa continues to evolve with growing molecular data, though the Donaldsonia clade is consistently identified as the basalmost clade within the family. [8]

List of species

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asterales</span> Large order of flowering plants

Asterales is an order of dicotyledonous flowering plants that includes the large family Asteraceae known for composite flowers made of florets, and ten families related to the Asteraceae. While asterids in general are characterized by fused petals, composite flowers consisting of many florets create the false appearance of separate petals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brassicales</span> Order of dicot flowering plants

The Brassicales are an order of flowering plants, belonging to the eurosids II group of dicotyledons under the APG II system. One character common to many members of the order is the production of glucosinolate compounds. Most systems of classification have included this order, although sometimes under the name Capparales.

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

Brassicaceae or Cruciferae is a medium-sized and economically important family of flowering plants commonly known as the mustards, the crucifers, or the cabbage family. Most are herbaceous plants, while some are shrubs. The leaves are simple, lack stipules, and appear alternately on stems or in rosettes. The inflorescences are terminal and lack bracts. The flowers have four free sepals, four free alternating petals, two shorter free stamens and four longer free stamens. The fruit has seeds in rows, divided by a thin wall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Celastrales</span> Order of flowering plants, mostly from tropics and subtropics

The Celastrales are an order of flowering plants found throughout the tropics and subtropics, with only a few species extending far into the temperate regions. The 1200 to 1350 species are in about 100 genera. All but seven of these genera are in the large family Celastraceae. Until recently, the composition of the order and its division into families varied greatly from one author to another.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piperaceae</span> Family of flowering plants in the order Piperales

The Piperaceae, also known as the pepper family, are a large family of flowering plants. The group contains roughly 3,600 currently accepted species in 5 genera. The vast majority of species can be found within the two main genera: Piper and Peperomia.

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

The Xyridaceae are a family of flowering plants. This family has been recognized by many taxonomists and is known as the yellow-eyed grass family.

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

The Limnanthaceae are a small family of annual herbs occurring throughout temperate North America. There are eight species and nineteen taxa currently recognized. Members of this family are prominent in vernal pool communities of California. Some taxa have been domesticated for use as an oil seed crop. Some members are listed as threatened or endangered and have been the focus of disputes over development plans

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

Glucosinolates are natural components of many pungent plants such as mustard, cabbage, and horseradish. The pungency of those plants is due to mustard oils produced from glucosinolates when the plant material is chewed, cut, or otherwise damaged. These natural chemicals most likely contribute to plant defence against pests and diseases, and impart a characteristic bitter flavor property to cruciferous vegetables.

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

Behenic acid is a carboxylic acid, the saturated fatty acid with formula C21H43COOH. In appearance, it consists of white solid although impure samples appear yellowish.

<i>Moringa oleifera</i> Species of flowering tree

Moringa oleifera is a fast-growing, drought-resistant tree of the family Moringaceae, native to the Indian subcontinent and used extensively in South and Southeast Asia. Common names include moringa, drumstick tree, horseradish tree, or malunggay.

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

Degeneria is a genus of flowering plants endemic to Fiji. It is the only genus in the family Degeneriaceae. The APG IV system of 2016, recognizes this family, and assigns it to the order Magnoliales in the clade magnoliids.

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

The Cleomaceae are a small family of flowering plants in the order Brassicales, comprising about 220 species in two genera, Cleome and Cleomella. These genera were previously included in the family Capparaceae, but were raised to a distinct family when DNA evidence suggested the genera included in it are more closely related to the Brassicaceae than they are to the Capparaceae. The APG II system allows for Cleomaceae to be included in Brassicaceae. Cleomaceae includes C3, C3–C4, and C4 photosynthesis species.

<i>Moringa peregrina</i> Species of plant

Moringa peregrina is a species of flowering plant in the family Moringaceae that is native to the Horn of Africa, Sudan, Egypt, the Arabian Peninsula, and as far north as Syria. It grows on rocky wadis and on cliffs in drier areas.

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

Gerrardina is a genus of two species of trees, shrubs, and scrambling shrubs found in southeastern Africa. Until recently, the genus was placed in the polyphyletic family Flacourtiaceae, but it was abnormal there due to its apical placentation, small embryos, and mucilaginous foliar epidermis. Analyses of DNA data indicated that the genus did not fit in any known plant family and not clearly in any then-recognized order, and a new family, Gerrardinaceae, was thus created for it. Later analyses of additional DNA data and data from wood anatomy indicated that the family should be placed in the order Huerteales.

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

Gyrostemonaceae is a family of plants in the order Brassicales. It comprises 4(-6) genera, totalling about 20 known species. All are endemic to temperate parts of Australia. They are shrubs or small trees with small, often narrow leaves, and small flowers. They are wind-pollinated.

The APG III system of flowering plant classification is the third version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy being developed by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG). Published in 2009, it was superseded in 2016 by a further revision, the APG IV system.

<i>Moringa stenopetala</i> Species of tree

Moringa stenopetala, commonly known as the African Moringa or cabbage tree, is a deciduous tree in the plant genus Moringa, native to Kenya and Ethiopia. A drought-resistant species, it is characterized by its bottle-shaped trunk, long twisted seed pods, and edible leaves likened to cabbage, from which its common name is derived. M. stenopetala is extirpated in the wild in Ethiopia, though still grown there as a crop on the terraces of the Ethiopian Highlands, mainly in the Konso region.

<i>Moringa hildebrandtii</i> Species of tree

Moringa hildebrandtii, or Hildebrandt's moringa, is a tree species with a massive, water-storing trunk in the family Moringaceae. It is endemic to Madagascar, where it is extinct in the wild, but preserved by indigenous horticulture practices.

<i>Moringa ovalifolia</i> Species of plant in the family Moringaceae

Moringa ovalifolia is a succulent flowering tree of the family Moringaceae native to Namibia and southwestern Angola.

References

  1. ↑ Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (2009). "An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG III" (PDF). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 161 (2): 105–121. doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8339.2009.00996.x . Retrieved 2013-07-06.
  2. 1 2 "Genus: Moringa Adans". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 1996-09-17. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2011-09-26.
  3. ↑ "Moringa Adans". TROPICOS. Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 2009-12-30.
  4. ↑ Olson, Mark (2010). "Moringaceae Martinov. Drumstick Tree Family" (PDF). Flora of North America. 1993+. Flora of North America North of Mexico. 7: 167–169.
  5. ↑ Janick, Jules; Robert E. Paull (2008). The Encyclopedia of Fruit & Nuts. CABI. pp. 509–510. ISBN   978-0-85199-638-7.
  6. ↑ Somoza, Veronika; Pirkwieser, Philip; Grosshagauer, Silke; Kraemer, Klaus (2021). "The Future of Moringa Foods: A Food Chemistry Perspective". Frontiers in Nutrition. 8: 844. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2021.751076 . ISSN   2296-861X. PMC   8594418 . PMID   34796194.
  7. ↑ Singh, Maavi. "My Mom Cooked Moringa Before It Was A Superfood". NPR. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Olson, Mark E. (2002). "Combining Data from DNA Sequences and Morphology for a Phylogeny of Moringaceae (Brassicales)". Systematic Botany. 27 (1): 55–73. ISSN   0363-6445. JSTOR   3093895.
  9. 1 2 Ramachandran, C.; Peter, K. V.; Gopalakrishnan, P. K. (1980-07-01). "Drumstick (Moringa oleifera): A multipurpose Indian vegetable". Economic Botany. 34 (3): 276–283. doi:10.1007/bf02858648. ISSN   0013-0001. S2CID   40029228.
  10. ↑ Mithen, Richard; Bennett, Richard; Marquez, Julietta (2010-12-01). "Glucosinolate biochemical diversity and innovation in the Brassicales". Phytochemistry. 71 (17–18): 2074–2086. Bibcode:2010PChem..71.2074M. doi:10.1016/j.phytochem.2010.09.017. ISSN   0031-9422. PMID   20971483.
  11. ↑ Ojeda-López, José; Marczuk-Rojas, Juan Pablo; Polushkina, Oliver Aleksandrei; Purucker, Darius; Salinas, María; Carretero-Paulet, Lorenzo (2020-10-19). "Evolutionary analysis of the Moringa oleifera genome reveals a recent burst of plastid to nucleus gene duplications". Scientific Reports. 10 (1): 17646. Bibcode:2020NatSR..1017646O. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-73937-w. ISSN   2045-2322. PMC   7573628 . PMID   33077763.
  12. 1 2 F., Chase, M. W. Christenhusz, M. J. M. Fay, M. F. Byng, J. W. Judd, W. S. Soltis, D. E. Mabberley, D. J. Sennikov, A. N. Soltis, P. S. Stevens, P. An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG IV. OCLC   1016892300 . Retrieved 2021-12-28.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ↑ Olson, Mark E. (2002-01-01). "Intergeneric Relationships within the Caricaceae‐Moringaceae Clade (Brassicales) and Potential Morphological Synapomorphies of the Clade and Its Families". International Journal of Plant Sciences. 163 (1): 51–65. doi:10.1086/324046. ISSN   1058-5893. S2CID   53397918 . Retrieved 2021-12-28.
  14. ↑ RONSE DECRAENE, L (1998-09-01). "Floral Development and Anatomy ofMoringa oleifera(Moringaceae): What is the Evidence for a Capparalean or Sapindalean Affinity?". Annals of Botany. 82 (3): 273–284. doi: 10.1006/anbo.1998.0677 . ISSN   0305-7364 . Retrieved 2021-12-28.
  15. 1 2 Verdcourt, B. (1985). "A Synopsis of the Moringaceae". Kew Bulletin. 40 (1): 1–ix. doi:10.2307/4108470. ISSN   0075-5974. JSTOR   4108470.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Leone A, Spada A, Battezzati A, Schiraldi A, Aristil J, Bertoli S (2015). "Cultivation, Genetic, Ethnopharmacology, Phytochemistry and Pharmacology of Moringa oleifera Leaves: An Overview". International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 16 (6): 12791–12835. doi: 10.3390/ijms160612791 . PMC   4490473 . PMID   26057747.
  17. ↑ Dadamouny, M.A. (2009). (2009). Population Ecology of Moringa peregrina growing in Southern Sinai, Egypt (M.Sc.). doi:10.13140/RG.2.1.5091.9760 . Retrieved 2009-12-26.{{cite thesis}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  18. ↑ Dadamouny, Mohamed A.; Unterseher, Martin; König, Peter; Schnittler, Martin (December 2016). "Population performance of Moringa peregrina (Forssk.) Fiori (Moringaceae) at Sinai Peninsula, Egypt in the last decades: Consequences for its conservation". Journal for Nature Conservation. 34: 65–74. Bibcode:2016JNatC..34...65D. doi:10.1016/j.jnc.2016.08.005.
  19. ↑ "Subordinate Taxa of Moringa Adans". TROPICOS. Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 2009-12-30.
  20. ↑ Dadamouny, Mohamed A.; Zaghloul, Mohamed S.; Ashraf, Salman (2012). "Impact of Improved Soil Properties on Establishment of Moringa peregrina seedlings and trial to decrease its Mortality Rate". Egyptian Journal of Botany. Retrieved 2012-07-03.
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