Glehnia

{{Short description|Genus of flowering plants}}

{{about|the plant in the genus Glehnia|the medicinal herb|Saposhnikovia divaricata||Bangpung (disambiguation)}}

{{Speciesbox

| image = Glehnia littoralis.jpg

| parent_authority = F.Schmidt

| display_parents = 3

| taxon = Glehnia littoralis

| authority = (J.G.Cooper) F. Schmidt ex Miq.

|synonyms =

  • Phellopterus {{small|Benth.}}
  • Cymopterus littoralis {{small|J.G.Cooper}}
  • Phellopterus littoralis {{small|(J.G.Cooper) F.Schmidt}}

|synonyms_ref = {{cite web |title=Glehnia littoralis (J.G.Cooper) F.Schmidt ex Miq. |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:842779-1 |website=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |access-date=24 April 2025}}

}}

Glehnia is a genus of plants in the carrot family, Apiaceae. It is monotypic, being represented by the single species, Glehnia littoralis,{{cite journal |author=Wu Zhengyi |year=1983 |title=On the significance of Pacific intercontinental discontinuity |journal=Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden |volume=70 |issue=4 |pages=577–590 |doi=10.2307/2398977 |jstor=2398977|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/31100 }} commonly known as beach silvertop and American silvertop. The genus was named after Russian botanist Peter von Glehn.{{cite web|url=http://netartsbaytoday.org/html/white_flowers.html|title=White Flowers|publisher=Netarts Bay Today |access-date=19 November 2009}}

Description

It is a long-taprooted plant forming a basal patch of leaves, with each leaf made up of several rounded, lobular segments. It reaches a maximum height exceeding {{Convert|.5|m|ft|abbr=off|frac=2}}, with the North American subspecies only reported to reach {{Convert|6.5|cm|abbr=off|frac=2}}.{{Cite book |last=Spellenberg |first=Richard |url=https://archive.org/details/nationalaudubons00spel/page/340/ |title=National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers: Western Region |publisher=Knopf |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-375-40233-3 |edition=rev |pages=340 |orig-date=1979}} The plant's erect stem is topped with an umbel of carrotlike white flowers.

=Chemistry=

File:Naphthisoxazole A.png

The plant contains naphthisoxazole A.{{cite journal | author = Li G.Q. | display-authors = etal | year = 2008 | title = A new isoxazol from Glehnia littoralis| doi = 10.1016/j.fitote.2008.01.002 | journal = Fitoterapia | volume = 79 | issue = 3 | pages = 238–239 | pmid = 18325682 }}

Taxonomy

Two subspecies exist, one in Asia and one in North America; the latter is named leiocarpa.

Distribution and habitat

It is native to eastern Asia, particularly eastern China, Japan, and far-eastern Russia, and western North America from Alaska to northern California. It can be found on sandy beaches and dunes.

Uses

The plant is perhaps best known as a Chinese herbal remedy for cough.Tang, Weici and Eisenbrand, Gerhard Handbook of Chinese Medicinal Plants : Chemistry, Pharmacology, Toxicology, pub. Wiley-VCH 2011 {{ISBN|978-3-527-32226-8}} Vol.1 pps. 599-600 Glehnia littoralis.

References

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