''Eupatorium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, containing from 36 to 60 species depending on the classification system. Most are

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of t ...

perennials growing to tall. A few are

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

s. The genus is native to temperate regions of the

Northern Hemisphere The Northern Hemisphere is the half of Earth that is north of the Equator. For other planets in the Solar System, north is defined as being in the same celestial hemisphere relative to the invariable plane of the solar system as Earth's Nort ...

. Most are commonly called bonesets, thoroughworts or snakeroots in North America. The genus is named for

Mithridates Eupator Mithridates or Mithradates VI Eupator ( grc-gre, Μιθραδάτης; 135–63 BC) was ruler of the Kingdom of Pontus in northern Anatolia from 120 to 63 BC, and one of the Roman Republic's most formidable and determined opponents. He was an e ...

, king of Pontus.

Systematics and taxonomy

''Eupatorium'' has at times been held to contain as many as 800 species, but many of these have been moved (at least by some authors) to other genera, including '' Ageratina'', ''

Chromolaena ''Chromolaena'' is a genus of about 165 species of perennials and shrubs in the family Asteraceae. The name is derived from the Greek language, Greek words (), meaning "color", and () or () meaning "cloak". It refers to the colored phyllaries ...

'', ''

Condylidium ''Condylidium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae.D.J.N.Hind & H.E.Robinson. 2007. Tribe Eupatorieae In: ''The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants'' vol.VIII. (Joachim W.Kadereit & Charles Jeffrey, volume editors. Klaus ...

'', ''

Conoclinium ''Conoclinium'', the mistflowers, is a genus of four species of herbaceous perennial flowering plants, native to North America. They are tall, and have blue to purple or violet flowers (occasionally white). The plants of this genus have sometim ...

'', ''

Critonia ''Critonia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the tribe Eupatorieae of the family Asteraceae. The most notable trait that characterizes the genus is the presence of pellucid punctations caused by internal secretory pockets of the leaves - to be ...

'', ''

Cronquistianthus ''Cronquistianthus'' is a genus of shrubs native to the Andes in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. The genus is named after the American botanist Arthur John Cronquist Arthur John Cronquist (March 19, 1919 – March 22, 1992) was an American b ...

'', '' Eutrochium'', ''

Fleischmannia ''Fleischmannia'' is a genus of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. The name honours Gottfried F. Fleischmann (1777–1850), the teacher of Carl Heinrich 'Bipontinus' Schultz, Carl Heinrich Schultz at University of Erlangen–Nuremberg. Mem ...

'', ''

Flyriella ''Flyriella'' is a genus of perennial flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, and the species are commonly called brickellbush. They are native to Texas and Mexico. Species Species:Turner, B.L. 1997. The Comps of Mexico: A systematic account ...

'', ''

Hebeclinium ''Hebeclinium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to South America and Mesoamerica.

'', ''

Koanophyllon ''Koanophyllon'' is a genus of plants in the family Asteraceae. They are perennials and shrubs (rarely vines or trees) and are native to South America, Central America, the West Indies, Mexico, with a few species range extending into the United S ...

'', ''

Mikania ''Mikania'' is a genus of about 450 species of plants in the tribe Eupatorieae within the family Asteraceae. The name honors the Czech botanist Johann Christian Mikan, 1743–1814. Members of the genus are stem twiners and lianas and are common ...

'', and ''

Tamaulipa ''Tamaulipa'' is a genus of flowering plants in the tribe Eupatorieae within the family Asteraceae. ;Species The only known species is ''Tamaulipa azurea'', is commonly known as blue boneset. The generic name refers to the State of Tamaulipas in ...

''. The classification of the tribe Eupatorieae, including species placed in ''Eupatorium'' in the present or past, is an area of ongoing research, so further changes are likely. What seems fairly certain by now is that there is a

monophyletic In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic gro ...

group containing ''Eupatorium'' (about 42 species of white flowered plants in North America, Europe and Asia, but not South America) and the Joe-pye weeds ('' Eutrochium''), and possibly others.

Uses

''Eupatorium'' are grown as ornamental plants, particularly in Asia. A number of popular ornamental plants formerly included in ''Eupatorium'' have been moved to other genera, such as '' Bartlettina'' and ''

''.

Tobacco leaf curl virus Tobacco leaf curl viruses (TLCV) are several species of plant pathogenic viruses in the genus ''Begomovirus ''Begomovirus'' is a genus of viruses, in the family ''Geminiviridae''. They are plant viruses that as a group have a very wide host ...

is a pathogen occasionally affecting plants of this genus. The foliage is eaten by 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 ...

larvae, including those of ''

Orthonama obstipata ''Orthonama obstipata'', the gem, is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1794. It is a cosmopolitan species. In continental Europe though in the northeast, its range does not signi ...

'' (The Gem).

Medical use

The common names for the plants are all based on the previous usage of one species, '' Eupatorium perfoliatum'', as an herbal medicine. Despite its name, boneset is not used to treat broken bones, instead the common name apparently derives from the herb's use to treat

dengue fever Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms typically begin three to fourteen days after infection. These may include a high fever, headache, vomiting, muscle and joint pains, and a characterist ...

, which was also called breakbone fever because of the pain that it caused. The name thoroughwort also comes from ''Eupatorium perfoliatum'', and refers to the perfoliate leaves, in which the stem appears to pierce the leaf (i.e. go through, note that in older usage "thorough" was not distinguished from "through", compare for example the word thoroughfare). Boneset, although

poison Poison is a chemical substance that has a detrimental effect to life. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broa ...

ous to humans and grazing livestock, has been used in folk medicine, for instance to excrete excess uric acid which causes gout. Caution is advised when using boneset, since it contains toxic compounds that can cause liver damage. Side effects include muscular tremors, weakness, and constipation; overdoses may be deadly.

Selected species

North America

* ''

Eupatorium album ''Eupatorium album'', or white thoroughwort, is a herbaceous perennial plant in the family Asteraceae native from the eastern and southern United States, from eastern Texas to Connecticut, inland as far as Indiana. As with other members of ...

'' L.– white thoroughwortSchmidt & Schilling (2000) * ''

Eupatorium altissimum ''Eupatorium altissimum'', with the common names tall thoroughwort and tall boneset, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the Asteraceae family with a native range including much of the eastern and central United States and Canada. It is a tall pla ...

'' L. – tall thoroughwort *''

Eupatorium anomalum ''Eupatorium anomalum'', commonly called Florida thoroughwort, is a North American species in the family Asteraceae. It grows in the southeastern United States from Alabama to Virginia. Molecular investigations suggest that it originated as a ...

'' Nash – Florida thoroughwort

apomictic In botany, apomixis is asexual reproduction without fertilization. Its etymology is Greek for "away from" + "mixing". This definition notably does not mention meiosis. Thus "normal asexual reproduction" of plants, such as propagation from cuttin ...

hybrid derivative of ''

Eupatorium mohrii ''Eupatorium mohrii'', commonly called Mohr's thoroughwort, is a herbaceous perennial plant in the family Asteraceae native to the southeastern and south-central states of the United States, in the coastal plain from Virginia to Texas. It has ...

'' and ''

Eupatorium rotundifolium ''Eupatorium rotundifolium'', commonly called roundleaf thoroughwort, is a North American species of plant in the family Asteraceae. It native to the eastern and central United States, in all the coastal states from Maine to Texas, and inland as ...

'' * ''

Eupatorium capillifolium ''Eupatorium capillifolium'', or dogfennel (also written "dog fennel"), is a North American perennial herbaceous plant in the family Asteraceae, native to the eastern and south-central United States. It is generally between 50 cm and 2 meter ...

'' (Lamarck) Small – dog-fennel * ''

Eupatorium compositifolium ''Eupatorium compositifolium'', commonly called Yankeeweed, is a North American herbaceous perennial plant in the family Asteraceae native to the southern United States (from North Carolina to Florida and Texas). Like other members of the ge ...

'' Walter – Yankeeweed * ''

Eupatorium godfreyanum ''Eupatorium godfreyanum'', commonly called Godfrey’s thoroughwort, is a North American species of plants in the family Asteraceae. It is found in the east-central United States, primarily from Pennsylvania to North Carolina, with a few isolate ...

'' Cronquist,

hybrid derivative of ''

'' and ''

Eupatorium sessilifolium ''Eupatorium sessilifolium'', commonly called upland boneset or sessile-leaved boneset, is a North American plant species in the family Asteraceae. It is native to the eastern and central United States, found from Maine south to North Carolina ...

'' * ''Eupatorium hyssopifolium'' L. – hyssop-leaved thoroughwort * ''Eupatorium lancifolium'' (Torrey & A.Gray) Small – lance-leaved thoroughwort * ''Eupatorium leptophyllum'' DC. – false fennel * ''Eupatorium leucolepis'' (DC.) Torrey & A.Gray – justiceweed * ''Eupatorium linearifolium'' Walter – (''Eupatorium cuneifolium'') * ''Eupatorium maritimum'' E.E.Schill. –

hybrid derivative of ''

'' and ''Eupatorium serotinum'' * ''Eupatorium mikanioides'' Chapman – semaphore thoroughwort * ''

'' Greene – Mohr's thoroughwort *''Eupatorium novae-angliae'' (Fernald) V.I.Sullivan ex A.Haines & Sorrie

hybrid derivative of ''Eupatorium paludicola'' and '' Eupatorium perfoliatum'' * ''Eupatorium paludicola'' E.E.Schill. & LeBlond – swamp thoroughwort, until 2007 classified as part of ''Eupatorium leucolepis'' * '' Eupatorium perfoliatum'' L. – common boneset * ''Eupatorium petaloideum'' Britton – showy white thoroughwort, often considered to be part of ''

'' * ''Eupatorium pilosum'' Walter – rough boneset, often considered to be part of ''

'' * ''Eupatorium resinosum'' Torrey ex DC. – pine barren boneset * ''

'' L. – round-leaved thoroughwort * ''Eupatorium semiserratum'' DC. – smallflower thoroughwort * ''Eupatorium serotinum'' L. – late boneset, late thoroughwort * ''

'' L. – upland boneset * ''Eupatorium sullivaniae'' E.E.Schill. –

hybrid derivative of ''

'' and ''Eupatorium lancifolium''

Europe

* ''Eupatorium cannabinum'' L. – hemp-agrimony

Asia

* ''Eupatorium amabile'' Kitam. * ''Eupatorium benguetense'' C.Robinson * ''Eupatorium camiguinense'' Merr. * ''Eupatorium chinense'' L. * ''Eupatorium formosanum'' Hayata * ''Eupatorium fortunei'' Turcz. – ''fujibakama'', ''pei lan'' * ''Eupatorium japonicum'' Thunb. (often included in ''E. chinense'') * ''Eupatorium lindleyanum'' DC. * ''Eupatorium luchuense'' Nakai * ''Eupatorium makinoi'' T.Kawahara & T.Yahara (see ''E. chinense'') * ''Eupatorium nodiflorum'' DC. * ''Eupatorium quaternum'' DC. * ''Eupatorium sambucifolium'' Elmer * ''Eupatorium shimadai'' Kitam. * ''Eupatorium squamosum'' D.Don * ''Eupatorium tashiroi'' Hayata * ''Eupatorium toppingianum'' Elmer * ''Eupatorium variabile'' Makino * ''Eupatorium yakushimaense'' Masam. & Kitam

Moved to other genera

* ''Eupatorium adamantium'' George Gardner (botanist), Gardner (moved to ''

'') * ''Eupatorium amygdalinum'' (moved to ''Ayapana'') * ''Eupatorium ayapana'' – aya-pana, water hemp (moved to ''Ayapana triplinervis'') * ''Eupatorium bracteatum'' Gardn. (moved to ''Stomatanthes, S. pernambucensis'') * ''Eupatorium coelestinum'' – mistflower (moved to ''

'') * ''Eupatorium collinum'' (moved to ''

collina'') * ''Eupatorium itatiayense'' Georg Hans Emmo Wolfgang Hieronymus, Hieron. (moved to ''Symphyopappus'') * ''Eupatorium gayanum'' (moved to ''Aristeguietia gayana'') * ''Eupatorium laevigatum'' DC. (moved to ''

'') * ''Eupatorium ligustrinum'' (moved to '' Ageratina ligustrina'') * ''Eupatorium maculatum'' (moved to ''Eutrochium maculatum'') Joe-Pye weed * ''Eupatorium maximiliani'' Heinrich Adolph Schrader, Schrad. ex A. P. de Candolle, DC. (moved to ''

'') * ''Eupatorium megalophyllum'' (moved to ''Bartlettina sordida'') * ''Eupatorium officinale'' (moved to ''

'') * ''Eupatorium pacificum'' (moved to '' Ageratina'') * ''Eupatorium purpureum'' (moved to ''Eutrochium purpureum'') * ''Eupatorium pyrifolium'' A. P. de Candolle, DC. (moved to ''Steyermarkina'') * ''Eupatorium rufescens'' P.W.Lund. ex A. P. de Candolle, DC. (moved to ''Kaunia'') * ''Eupatorium rugosum'' (moved to ''Ageratina altissima'') * ''Eupatorium sordidum'' (moved to ''Bartlettina sordida'') * ''Eupatorium squalidum'' A. P. de Candolle, DC. (moved to ''

'') * ''Eupatorium urticaefolium'' (moved to '' Ageratina'', synonym of ''A. altissima'') * ''Eupatorium vauthierianum'' A. P. de Candolle, DC. (moved to ''Heterocondylus Heterocondylus alatus, alatus'')

References

Bibliography

* (2004): ''Encyclopedia of Folk Medicine: Old World and New World Traditions.'' ABC-CLIO, Inc., Santa Barbara. * * (1995): ''Taxonomy of ''Eupatorium'' Section ''Verticillata'' (Asteraceae)''. New York Botanical Garden Press. * (2005): ''The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine'' (2nd ed., vol. 1). Gale Group, New York.
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* * * * {{Taxonbar, from=Q1123970 Eupatorium, Medicinal plants Asteraceae genera Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Dioecious plants