''Arnica'' is a genus of

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

, herbaceous plants in the sunflower family (

Asteraceae The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...

). The genus name ''Arnica'' may be derived from the Greek ''

arni Arni may refer to: Municipalities * Arni, Tiruvannamalai, a town in Tamil Nadu, India * Arni, Maharashtra, in Yavatmal district, Maharashtra State, India * Arni, Karditsa, a municipality in the Karditsa regional unit, Greece * Arni, Aargau, a munic ...

'', "lamb", in reference to the plants' soft, hairy leaves. ''Arnica'' is also known by the names ''mountain tobacco'' and confusingly, ''leopard's bane'' and ''wolfsbane''—two names that it shares with the entirely unrelated genus ''

Aconitum ''Aconitum'' (), also known as aconite, monkshood, wolf's-bane, leopard's bane, mousebane, women's bane, devil's helmet, queen of poisons, or blue rocket, is a genus of over 250 species of flowering plants belonging to the family Ranunculaceae. ...

''. This

circumboreal The Circumboreal Region in phytogeography is a floristic region within the Holarctic Kingdom in Eurasia and North America, as delineated by such geobotanists as Josias Braun-Blanquet and Armen Takhtajan. It is the largest floristic region in t ...

and montane (subalpine) genus occurs mostly in the temperate regions of western

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

, with a few species native to the

Arctic The Arctic ( or ) is a polar regions of Earth, polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm (Greenla ...

regions of northern

Eurasia Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelago a ...

and

. ''Arnica'' species are used as food plants by the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...

e of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...

species, including ''

Bucculatrix arnicella ''Bucculatrix arnicella'' is a species of moth in the family Bucculatricidae. The species was first described in 1925 by Annette Frances Braun. It is found in North America, where it has been recorded from Utah, Montana, Alberta and Wyoming. The h ...

''. ''Arnica'' was previously classified in the tribe

Senecioneae Senecioneae is the largest tribe of the Asteraceae, or the sunflower family, comprising over 150 genera and over 3,500 species. Almost one-third of the species in this tribe are placed in the genus ''Senecio''. Its members exhibit probably the w ...

because it has a flower or pappus of fine bristles.

Characteristics

''Arnica'' plants have a deep-rooted, erect

stem Stem or STEM may refer to: Plant structures * Plant stem, a plant's aboveground axis, made of vascular tissue, off which leaves and flowers hang * Stipe (botany), a stalk to support some other structure * Stipe (mycology), the stem of a mushro ...

that is usually unbranched. Their downy opposite leaves are borne towards the apex of the stem. The ovoid, leathery basal leaves are arranged in a rosette.Flora of North America, ''Arnica'' Linnaeus
/ref> They show large yellow or orange

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

s, wide with long ray florets and numerous disc florets. The phyllaries (a

bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of ...

under the flowerhead) has long spreading hairs. Each phyllary is associated with a ray floret. Species of ''Arnica'', with an involucre (a circle of bracts arranged surrounding the flower head) arranged in two rows, have only their outer phyllaries associated with ray florets. The flowers have a slight

aromatic In chemistry, aromaticity is a chemical property of cyclic ( ring-shaped), ''typically'' planar (flat) molecular structures with pi bonds in resonance (those containing delocalized electrons) that gives increased stability compared to satur ...

smell. The seedlike

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

has a pappus of plumose, white or pale tan bristles. The entire plant has a strong and distinct pine-sage odor when the leaves of mature plants are rubbed or bruised.

''Arnica montana''

The species ''Arnica montana'', native to

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

, has long been used medicinally, but the effectiveness of this use has not been substantiated.

Toxicity

''Arnica montana'' contains the toxin

helenalin Helenalin, or (-)-4-Hydroxy-4a,8-dimethyl-3,3a,4a,7a,8,9,9a-octahydroazuleno ,5-b/nowiki>furan-2,5-dione, is a toxic sesquiterpene lactone which can be found in several plants such as ''Arnica montana'' and '' Arnica chamissonis'' Helenalin is res ...

, which can be poisonous if large amounts of the plant are eaten, and contact with the plant can also cause skin irritation.

Species

Accepted species:The Plant List search for ''Arnica''
/ref> * ''

Arnica acaulis ''Arnica acaulis'' is a North American species of plants in the sunflower family, known by the common name common leopardbane. It is native to the southeastern and east-central parts of the United States, from Alabama and Florida north to New Je ...

'' —Common leopardbane - eastern US from

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

* '' Arnica angustifolia'' —Narrowleaf arnica -

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

(from

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

), US (

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...

Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

); Russia, Scandinavia * '' Arnica cernua'' —Serpentine arnica -

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

* '' Arnica chamissonis'' —Chamisso arnica - US West of

Rockies The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in great-circle distance, straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Can ...

incl

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

;

(

plus

Yukon Yukon (; ; formerly called Yukon Territory and also referred to as the Yukon) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 43,964 as ...

Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...

) * ''

Arnica cordifolia ''Arnica cordifolia'' is a species of arnica in the sunflower family, known by the common name heartleaf arnica. It is native to western North America. Description This is a rhizomatous perennial herb producing one or more erect stems reaching ...

'' —Heart-leaf leopardbane, heartleaf arnica - US West of

plus

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

;

(from

plus

) * '' Arnica dealbata'' -

* ''

Arnica discoidea ''Arnica discoidea'' is a North American species of arnica in the sunflower family. It is known by the common name rayless arnica because its flower heads have disc florets but none of the showier ray florets. It is native to the woodlands, fore ...

'' Rayless arnica -

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

* '' Arnica fulgens'' Foothill arnica, orange arnica, shining leopardbane - USA= West of

plus

;

(from

Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

) * '' Arnica gracilis'' —Smallhead arnica (''A. latifolia'' x ''A. cordifolia'') - US (

);

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

* ''

Arnica griscomii ''Arnica griscomii'' is an Asian and North American species of plants in the sunflower family, known by the common name snow arnica. It is native to eastern Russia and northwestern North America (Alaska, British Columbia, Yukon, Northwest Territ ...

'' -

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

* ''

Arnica intermedia ''Arnica latifolia'' is a species of arnica in the sunflower family, known by the common names broadleaf arnica, broad leaved arnica, mountain arnica, and daffodil leopardbane. It is native to western North America from Alaska east to Northwest ...

'' - eastern

(

Yakutsk Yakutsk (russian: Якутск, p=jɪˈkutsk; sah, Дьокуускай, translit=Djokuuskay, ) is the capital city of the Sakha Republic, Russia, located about south of the Arctic Circle. Fueled by the mining industry, Yakutsk has become one of ...

iya,

Khabarovsk Khabarovsk ( rus, Хабaровск, a=Хабаровск.ogg, r=Habárovsk, p=xɐˈbarəfsk) is the largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative centre of Khabarovsk Krai, Russia,Law #109 located from the China ...

Magadan Magadan ( rus, Магадан, p=məɡɐˈdan) is a port town and the administrative center of Magadan Oblast, Russia, located on the Sea of Okhotsk in Nagayev Bay (within Taui Bay) and serving as a gateway to the Kolyma region. History Maga ...

) * '' Arnica lanceolata'' —Arnica, lanceleaf arnica - US West of

plus

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

New York State New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. stat ...

; Canada (

New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...

) * ''

Arnica latifolia ''Arnica latifolia'' is a species of arnica in the sunflower family, known by the common names broadleaf arnica, broad leaved arnica, mountain arnica, and daffodil leopardbane. It is native to western North America from Alaska east to Northwest ...

'' —Broadleaf arnica - western US, western

* ''

Arnica lessingii ''Arnica lessingii'' is a Russian and North American species of arnica in the sunflower family. The common name is nodding arnica. It is found on both sides of the Bering Strait, being native to Alaska, Yukon, British Columbia, Northwest Territ ...

'' —Nodding arnica - Kamchatka,

* '' Arnica lonchophylla'' —Longleaf arnica - most of Canada;

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...

* '' Arnica longifolia'' —Longleaf arnica, spearleaf arnica - US West of

* '' Arnica louiseana'' —Lake Louise arnica -

* '' Arnica mallotopus'' -

Honshu , historically called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island separ ...

Island in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

* '' Arnica mollis'' —Hairy arnica, wooly arnica - - US West of

plus

;

(from

plus

) * '' Arnica montana'' — Mountain arnica - most of

plus

Greenland Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is t ...

; naturalized in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

* '' Arnica nevadensis'' —Nevada arnica -

* '' Arnica ovata'' -

, US West of

* '' Arnica parryi'' —Nodding arnica, Parry's arnica -

, US West of

* '' Arnica porsildiorum'' - Kamchatka,

* '' Arnica rydbergii'' —Rydberg arnica, Rydberg's arnica, subalpine arnica -

, northwestern USA * '' Arnica sachalinensis'' -

Hokkaido is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel. The la ...

Sakhalin Sakhalin ( rus, Сахали́н, r=Sakhalín, p=səxɐˈlʲin; ja, 樺太 ''Karafuto''; zh, c=, p=Kùyèdǎo, s=库页岛, t=庫頁島; Manchu: ᠰᠠᡥᠠᠯᡳᠶᠠᠨ, ''Sahaliyan''; Orok: Бугата на̄, ''Bugata nā''; Nivkh: ...

, Kuril,

Irkutsk Irkutsk ( ; rus, Иркутск, p=ɪrˈkutsk; Buryat language, Buryat and mn, Эрхүү, ''Erhüü'', ) is the largest city and administrative center of Irkutsk Oblast, Russia. With a population of 617,473 as of the 2010 Census, Irkutsk is ...

* ''

Arnica sororia ''Arnica sororia'' is a North American species of flowering plant known by the common name twin arnica. It is native to Western Canada (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan) and the Western United States (Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada ...

'' —Twin arnica -

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...

, US West of

* '' Arnica spathulata'' —Klamath arnica -

* '' Arnica unalaschcensis'' —Alaska arnica -

, Kamchatka,

, Kuril,

* ''

Arnica venosa ''Arnica venosa'' is a rare California species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name Shasta County arnica. It should not be confused with the Mt. Shasta arnica, '' A. viscosa.'' ''Arnica venosa'' is endemic to the ...

'' —Shasta County arnica -

* ''

Arnica viscosa ''Arnica viscosa'' is an uncommon North American species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, known by the common name Mount Shasta arnica (not to be confused with the Shasta County arnica, '' A. venosa''). Distribution It is native to t ...

'' —Mt. Shasta arnica -

References

External links

* {{Authority control Asteraceae genera Medicinal plants Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus