Butcher's-broom | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Order: | Asparagales |
Family: | Asparagaceae |
Subfamily: | Nolinoideae |
Genus: | Ruscus |
Species: | R. aculeatus |
Binomial name | |
Ruscus aculeatus | |
Synonyms [1] | |
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Ruscus aculeatus, known as butcher's-broom, [2] is a low evergreen dioecious Eurasian shrub, with flat shoots known as cladodes that give the appearance of stiff, spine-tipped leaves. Small greenish flowers appear in spring, and are borne singly in the centre of the cladodes. The female flowers are followed by a red berry, and the seeds are bird-distributed, but the plant also spreads vegetatively by means of rhizomes. It is native to Eurasia and some northern parts of Africa. [3] Ruscus aculeatus occurs in woodlands and hedgerows, where it is tolerant of deep shade, and also on coastal cliffs. Likely due to its attractive winter/spring color, Ruscus aculeatus has become a fairly common landscape plant. [3] It is also widely planted in gardens, and has spread as a garden escapee in many areas outside its native range. The plant grows well in zones 7 to 9 on the USDA hardiness zone map. [3]
The Latin specific epithet aculeatus means "prickly". [4]
The common name, butcher's broom, hails from one of its original uses. In Europe, Ruscus species were traditionally harvested for their flat and stiff branches to make small brooms that were used for clearing off and cleaning butchering blocks. [5] Recent research has uncovered that butcher's broom contains some antibacterial compounds. [5] This suggests that in addition to the functional physical properties of Ruscus species, increased effectiveness in cleaning and producing safer products due to unrecognized antibacterial oils may have contributed to its popularity and subsequent nickname.
Butcher's broom has been used by a variety of peoples as a treatment for a variety of ailments. A classical remedy from Europe claimed that the rhizomes could be used as a diuretic. [5] In ancient Greece, butcher's broom was used as a laxative or diuretic, and it was also believed to remove kidney stones when added to wine. [6] Butcher's broom was also used to reduce swelling and to speed the recovery of fractures. [7]
Grows to length of 80 cm with stiff branches bearing cladodes (stems modified to look like leaves) and true leaves less than 5 mm. Flowers grow from axils of leaves on adaxial side of cladodes. The 6 tepals are pale green, and the ovary or stamens are violet (dioecious plant). Fruit about 1 cm red, thick and rigid. Flowers in the axil of bracts cladodes up to 4 cm. [8]
In Great Britain it has been recorded from southern England to north Wales. [8] In north-eastern Ireland it is extremely rare growing wild but has been recorded in Counties Down and Antrim. [9]
The major phytochemicals in butcher's broom are steroidal saponins. [10] Saponins occur naturally in plants as glycosides and have foam forming properties. [11] The specific saponins found in butcher's broom are ruscogenins, ruscogenen and neoruscogenin, named for the genus Ruscus. [5] Ruscogenins function as anti-inflammatory agents [12] and are also believed to cause constriction in veins. [13] Currently the mode of action of ruscogenins is not well understood, but one proposed mechanism suggests that ruscogenins suppresses leukocyte migration through both protein and mRNA regulation. [12] Neoruscogenin has been identified as a potent and high-affinity agonist of the nuclear receptor RORα (NR1F1). [14]
Newer research has also uncovered that there are polyphenols present in butcher's broom which may also be physiologically active, possibly as an antioxidant. [15] [16] As of yet there is not enough evidence to make a conclusion, but since they have now been synthesized in labs further research should be in progress.
The dwarf cultivar 'John Redmond', growing to 50 cm (20 in) tall by 100 cm (39 in) broad, has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. [17] [18]
Other cultivars include 'Christmas Berry'. [19]
Spearmint, a species of mint (Mentha) scientifically classified as Mentha spicata (,) also known as garden mint, common mint, lamb mint and mackerel mint, is native to Europe and southern temperate Asia, extending from Ireland in the west to southern China in the east. It is naturalized in many other temperate parts of the world, including northern and southern Africa, North America, and South America. It is used as a flavouring in food and herbal teas. The aromatic oil, called oil of spearmint, is also used as a flavoring and sometimes as a scent.
Symphoricarpos, commonly known as the snowberry, waxberry, or ghostberry, is a small genus of about 15 species of deciduous shrubs in the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae. With the exception of the Chinese coralberry, S. sinensis, which is indigenous to western China, all species are native to North and Central America. The name of the genus is derived from the Ancient Greek words συμφορεῖν (sumphoreîn), meaning "to bear together", and καρπός (karpós), meaning "fruit". It refers to the closely packed clusters of berries the species produces.
Spartium junceum, known as Spanish broom, rush broom, or weaver's broom, it is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and the sole species in the genus Spartium. It is closely related to the other brooms.
Dioscorea communis or Tamus communis is a species of flowering plant in the yam family Dioscoreaceae and is commonly known as black bryony, lady's-seal or black bindweed.
Ruscus, commonly known as butcher's broom, is a genus of six species of flowering plants, native to western and southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa, and southwestern Asia east to the Caucasus. In the APG III classification system, it is placed in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Nolinoideae. Like many lilioid monocots, it was formerly classified in the family Liliaceae.
Fuchsia magellanica – commonly known as the hummingbird fuchsia, hardy fuchsia or chilco – is a species of flowering plant in the evening primrose family Onagraceae, native to the lower Southern Cone of southern South America.
Calendula officinalis, the pot marigold, common marigold, ruddles, Mary's gold or Scotch marigold, is a flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae. It is probably native to southern Europe, though its long history of cultivation makes its precise origin unknown. It is also widely naturalised farther north in Europe and elsewhere in warm temperate regions of the world.
Phylloclades and cladodes are flattened, photosynthetic shoots, which are usually considered to be modified branches. The two terms are used either differently or interchangeably by different authors. Phyllocladus, a genus of conifer, is named after these structures. Phylloclades/cladodes have been identified in fossils dating from as early as the Permian.
Ilex latifolia is a species of holly, native to southern Japan and eastern and southern China, growing in broadleaf forests at altitudes of 200–1,500 m.
Chamaelirium is a genus of flowering plants containing the single species Chamaelirium luteum, commonly known as blazing-star, devil's bit, false unicorn, fairy wand, and helonias. It is a perennial herb native to the eastern United States. It can be found in a variety of habitats, including wet meadows and deciduous woodlands.
Polyscias fruticosa, or Ming aralia, is a perennial plant, dicot evergreen shrub or dwarf tree, native to India. The plant grows fairly slowly but can reach up to 1–2 meters in height. The leaves are of a dark green pigment, glossy in texture, and are tripinnate and appear divided. Individual leaves vary from narrowly ovate to lanceolate and are about 10 cm long.
Symphoricarpos albus is a species of flowering plant in the honeysuckle family known by the common name common snowberry. Native to North America, it is browsed by some animals and planted for ornamental and ecological purposes, but is poisonous to humans.
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.
Ruscus hypoglossum is a small evergreen shrub with a native range from Italy north to Austria and Slovakia and east to Turkey and Crimea. Common names include spineless butcher's-broom, mouse thorn and horse tongue lily. The species name comes from two Greek words ὑπό (hypo) and γλῶσσα (glōssa) meaning under and tongue.
Pittosporum angustifolium is a shrub or small tree growing throughout inland Australia. Common names include weeping pittosporum, butterbush, cattle bush, native apricot, apricot tree, gumbi gumbi, cumby cumby, meemeei, poison berry bush, and berrigan.
Ficus auriculata is a type of fig tree, native to subtropical and tropical mainland Asia. It is noted for its big and round leaves and edible fruit.
Iris kashmiriana is a plant species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Iris. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from Kashmir, India. It has straight, sword-shaped, glaucous leaves, tall, thick stem with up 2 short branches, which hold 2–3 flowers, which can be white, cream or pale blue, lilac, lavender or blue-purple. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions, although in Kashmir, it is also planted on graves.
Sarcococca ruscifolia (野扇花) is a species of flowering plant in the box family Buxaceae, native to China, where it inhabits forested mountain slopes. Growing to 1 m (3.3 ft) tall and broad, it is a compact evergreen shrub with shiny oval leaves. Fragrant white flowers in winter are followed by red berries.
Ruscus hyrcanus is a perennial evergreen woody shrub-like or small compact bush plant. It is in the asparagus family.
Manilkara obovata is small to large sized evergreen tree within the Sapotaceae family. Its timber is sold under the name Nkunya in Uganda. The species has a wide distribution from Sierra Leone in West Africa moving east to Uganda in Eastern Africa and southwards to Zambia. It is also considered a variable species having different ecotypes.