Psoralea

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Psoralea
Psoralea pinnata Cape Town 5.JPG
P. pinnata
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Tribe: Psoraleeae
Genus: Psoralea
L. (1753)
Species [1]

111; see text

Synonyms [1]
  • BipontiniaAlef. (1866)
  • HalliaThunb. (1799)
  • LotodesKuntze (1891), nom. superfl.
  • OtholobiumC.H.Stirt. (1981)
  • RuteriaMedik. (1787)

Psoralea is a genus in the legume family (Fabaceae) with 111 species of shrubs, trees, and herbs native to southern and eastern Africa, ranging from Kenya to South Africa. [1] In South Africa they are commonly referred to as fountainbush (English); fonteinbos, bloukeur, or penwortel (Afrikaans); and umHlonishwa (Zulu). [2]

Contents

Etymology

The name ‘Psoralea’ is derived from the Greek term ‘Psoraleos’, which means “affected with itch or with leprosy”. [3] Psoralen occurs naturally in the seeds of Psoralea corylifolia , and is used in PUVA (psoralen + UVA) treatment, for several diseases including such as psoriasis.

Species

111 species are accepted: [1]

Related Research Articles

<i>Indigofera</i> Genus of plants

Indigofera is a large genus of over 750 species of flowering plants belonging to the pea family Fabaceae. They are widely distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world.

<i>Lotononis</i> Genus of legumes

Lotononis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae and the tribe Crotalarieae. The genus includes 99 species of annual and perennial herbs, native to the southeastern Europe and Turkey, eastern Africa, and southern Africa.

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

Phylica is a genus of plants in the family Rhamnaceae. It contains about 150 species, the majority of which are restricted to South Africa, where they form part of the fynbos. A few species occur in other parts of southern Africa, and on islands including Madagascar, the Mascarene Islands, Île Amsterdam, Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha, and Gough Island. The oldest fossils of the genus are of Phylica piloburmensis from the Burmese amber of Myanmar, dating to around 99 million years ago during the mid-Cretaceous.

<i>Aspalathus</i> Genus of legumes

Aspalathus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. The yellow flowers and spiny habit of some species have suggested a resemblance to Ulex europaeus, the thorny "English gorse" Accordingly, "Cape Gorse" has been proposed as a common name although the resemblance is largely superficial; for instance, gorse is thorny, whereas Aspalathus species are variously spiny or unarmed. The genus belongs to the subfamily Faboideae. There are over 270 species, mainly endemic to southwestern fynbos regions in South Africa, with over fifty occurring on the Cape Peninsula alone. The species Aspalathus linearis is commercially important, being farmed as the source of Rooibos tea.

<i>Lessertia</i> (plant) Genus of legumes

Lessertia is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. It contains some 62 species native to eastern and southern Africa. It belongs to subfamily Faboideae.

<i>Rafnia</i> Genus of legumes

Rafnia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. It includes 29 species of shrubs and subshrubs native to South Africa. They grow in Mediterranean-climate fynbos (shrubland) and grassland, mostly on rocky and sandy soils. Most are native to the Cape Provinces, with some extending eastwards into KwaZulu-Natal. It belongs to subfamily Faboideae.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Psoralea L. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online . Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  2. "Psoralea pinnata | PlantZAfrica". pza.sanbi.org. Retrieved 2021-07-21.
  3. Koul, Bhupendra; Taak, Pooja; Kumar, Arvind; Kumar, Anil; Sanyal, Indraneel (Dec 3, 2018). "Genus Psoralea: A review of the traditional and modern uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 232 (232): 201–226. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2018.11.036. PMC   7127090 . PMID   30521980.
  4. Two New Blue-Flowered Plant Species Discovered in South Africa
  5. "Psoralea fasicularis DC". Plants of the World Online. 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2021.

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