''Eryngium'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of flowering plants in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Apiaceae. There are about 250 species.Wang, P., et al. (2012)
Phytochemical constituents and pharmacological activities of ''Eryngium'' L. (Apiaceae).
''Pharmaceutical Crops'' 3 99-120. The genus has a

cosmopolitan distribution In biogeography, cosmopolitan distribution is the term for the range of a taxon that extends across all or most of the world in appropriate habitats. Such a taxon, usually a species, is said to exhibit cosmopolitanism or cosmopolitism. The ext ...

, with the center of diversity in South America. Common names include eryngo and sea holly (though not to be confused with true hollies, of the genus ''

Ilex ''Ilex'' (), or holly, is a genus of over 570 species of flowering plants in the family (biology), family Aquifoliaceae, and the only living genus in that family. ''Ilex'' has the most species of any woody dioecious angiosperm genus. The speci ...

''). These are

annual Annual may refer to: *Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year ** Yearbook ** Literary annual *Annual plant *Annual report *Annual giving *Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco *Annuals (band), ...

and

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 ...

herbs with hairless and usually spiny

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

. The dome-shaped

umbel In botany, an umbel is an inflorescence that consists of a number of short flower stalks (called pedicels) that spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs. The word was coined in botanical usage in the 1590s, from Latin ''umbella'' "p ...

s of steely blue or white

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 have whorls of spiny basal

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 ...

s. Some species are

native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...

to rocky and coastal areas, but the majority are

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ...

plants. In the

language of flowers Floriography (language of flowers) is a means of cryptological communication through the use or arrangement of flowers. Meaning has been attributed to flowers for thousands of years, and some form of floriography has been practiced in tradition ...

, they represent

admiration Admiration is a social emotion felt by observing people of competence, talent, or skill exceeding standards.Algoe, S. B., & Haidt, J. (2009). Witnessing excellence in action: The ‘other-praising’ emotions of elevation, gratitude, and admirati ...

Species

Eryngium agavifolium - Copenhagen Botanical Garden - 1

5689 - Schynige Platte - Eryngium alpinum

Species include:GRIN Species Records of ''Eryngium''.
Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).''Eryngium'' of North America.
USDA PLANTS. *'' Eryngium agavifolium'' Griseb. - agave-leaved sea holly *'' Eryngium alismifolium'' - Modoc eryngo *'' Eryngium alpinum'' - alpine eryngo *''

Eryngium amethystinum ''Eryngium amethystinum'', the amethyst eryngo, Italian eryngo or amethyst sea holly, is a clump-forming, perennial, tap-rooted herb. Its stem is 30 to 50 cm long and is light blue to purple in colour. It has a basal circle of obovate, pin ...

'' - amethyst eryngo *'' Eryngium aquaticum'' - rattlesnake master *'' Eryngium aristulatum'' - California eryngo *'' Eryngium armatum'' - coastal eryngo *''

Eryngium aromaticum ''Eryngium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apiaceae. There are about 250 species.Wang, P., et al. (2012)Phytochemical constituents and pharmacological activities of ''Eryngium'' L. (Apiaceae). ''Pharmaceutical Crops'' 3 99-120. The ...

'' - fragrant eryngo *'' Eryngium articulatum'' - beethistle *'' Eryngium baldwinii'' – Baldwin's eryngo *''

Eryngium billardieri ''Eryngium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apiaceae. There are about 250 species.Wang, P., et al. (2012)Phytochemical constituents and pharmacological activities of ''Eryngium'' L. (Apiaceae). ''Pharmaceutical Crops'' 3 99-120. The ...

'' *''

Eryngium bourgatii ''Eryngium bourgatii'', the Mediterranean sea holly, is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to Morocco, Lebanon, Turkey, France, and Spain. It is a herbaceous perennial growing to tall. The spherical blue flowerheads hav ...

'' - Bourgati's eryngo *'' Eryngium bromelifolium'' *'' Eryngium caeruleum'' *''

Eryngium campestre ''Eryngium campestre'', known as field eryngo, or Watling Street thistle, is a species of '' Eryngium'', which is used medicinally. A member of the family Apiaceae, eryngo is a hairless, thorny perennial plant. The leaves are tough and stiff, w ...

'' - field eryngo *'' Eryngium carlinae'' - ''gravatá'' *'' Eryngium castrense'' - Great Valley eryngo *'' Eryngium constancei'' - Loch Lomond coyote thistle *'' Eryngium corniculatum'' *'' Eryngium coucasicum'' - An herb form Northern Iran known as choochagh *'' Eryngium creticum'' *''

Eryngium cuneifolium ''Eryngium cuneifolium'' is a rare species of flowering plant in the carrot family known by the common names wedgeleaf eryngo, wedge-leaved button-snakeroot, and simply snakeroot. It is endemic to the state of Florida in the United States where ...

'' - wedgeleaf eryngo, snakeroot *'' Eryngium depressum'' *'' Eryngium dichotomum'' *'' Eryngium diffusum'' – spreading eryngo *'' Eryngium dilatatum'' *''

Eryngium divaricatum ''Eryngium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apiaceae. There are about 250 species.Wang, P., et al. (2012)Phytochemical constituents and pharmacological activities of ''Eryngium'' L. (Apiaceae). ''Pharmaceutical Crops'' 3 99-120. The ...

'' – ballast eryngo *'' Eryngium dorae'' *'' Eryngium duriaei'' *'' Eryngium ebracteatum'' *'' Eryngium eburneum'' *'' Eryngium elegans'' *''

Eryngium foetidum ''Eryngium foetidum'' is a tropical perennial herb in the family Apiaceae. Common names include culantro ( or ), recao, chadon beni (pronounced shadow benny), Mexican coriander, bhandhania, long coriander, sawtooth coriander, and ngò gai. It i ...

'' - false coriander, stinkweed, culantro *''

Eryngium giganteum ''Eryngium giganteum'', with the common name Miss Willmott's ghost, is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae. The short-lived herbaceous perennial thistle is native to the Caucasus and Iran in Western Asia. Description ''Eryngiu ...

'' - giant sea holly, Miss Wilmott's ghost *'' Eryngium glaciale'' *'' Eryngium heterophyllum'' - Mexican thistle, Wright's eryngo *'' Eryngium hookeri'' - Hooker's eryngo *'' Eryngium humile'' *'' Eryngium inaccessum'' *'' Eryngium integrifolium'' – blueflower eryngo *'' Eryngium jaliscense'' *'' Eryngium leavenworthii'' - Leavenworth's eryngo *'' Eryngium lemmonii'' – Chiricahua Mountain eryngo *''

Eryngium maritimum ''Eryngium maritimum'', the sea holly or sea eryngo, or sea eryngium, is a perennial species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae and native to most European coastlines. It resembles a plume thistle in appearance on account of its burr-sha ...

'' - sea holly, seaside eryngo *'' Eryngium mathiasiae'' – Mathias' eryngo *'' Eryngium monocephalum'' *'' Eryngium nasturtiifolium'' – ''hierba del sapo'' *'' Eryngium nudicaule'' *'' Eryngium ombrophilum'' *'' Eryngium ovinum'' - blue devil *'' Eryngium palmatum'' *'' Eryngium paludosum'' - long eryngium *'' Eryngium pandanifolium'' *'' Eryngium paniculatum'' *'' Eryngium pectinatum'' *'' Eryngium pendletonense'' - Pendleton button-celery *'' Eryngium petiolatum'' – rushleaf eryngo, Oregon coyote thistle *'' Eryngium phyteumae'' – Huachuca Mountain eryngo *'' Eryngium pinnatifidum'' - blue devils *'' Eryngium pinnatisectum'' – Tuolumne eryngo *''

Eryngium planum ''Eryngium planum'', the blue eryngo or flat sea holly, is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native to the area that includes central and southeastern Europe and central Asia. It is an herbaceous perennial thistle growing to w ...

'' - blue eryngo, plains eryngo *'' Eryngium prostratum'' - creeping eryngo *'' Eryngium proteiflorum'' *'' Eryngium racemosum'' – delta eryngo *'' Eryngium rostratum'' - blue devil *'' Eryngium sanguisorba'' *'' Eryngium serbicum'' *'' Eryngium serra'' *'' Eryngium sparganophyllum'' – Arizona eryngo *'' Eryngium spinosepalum'' - spinysepal eryngo *'' Eryngium tenue'' *'' Eryngium tricuspidatum'' *'' Eryngium triquetrum'' *'' Eryngium variifolium'' - Moroccan sea holly *'' Eryngium vaseyi'' - coyote thistle *'' Eryngium vesiculosum'' - prickfoot *'' Eryngium viviparum'' *''

Eryngium yuccifolium ''Eryngium yuccifolium'', known as rattlesnake master, button eryngo, and button snake-root, is a perennial herb of the parsley family native to the tallgrass prairies of central and eastern North America. It grows from Minnesota east to Ohio an ...

'' - rattlesnake master, button snakeroot

Uses

Species are grown as

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that i ...

s in gardens. Numerous

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...

s have been selected for garden use, of which ''E.'' × ''oliverianum'' and ''E.'' × ''tripartitum'' have gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

. Another is ''E. x zabelii'' 'Big Blue', whose parentage is ''E. alpinum'' x ''E. bourgatii''. Many species of ''Eryngium'' have been used as food and medicine. ''

'' is used as a

folk medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the ...

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

. In Iran, Eryngium (Boghnagh فارسی- بوقناق) is used as

herbal tea Herbal teas, also known as herbal infusions and less commonly called tisanes (UK and US , US also ), are beverages made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water. Oftentimes herb tea, or the plain term ...

to lower blood sugar. '' Eryngium creticum'' is a herbal remedy for

scorpion Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always end ...

stings in

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...

. '' Eryngium elegans'' is used in

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

and ''

'' in Latin America and South-East Asia.

Native American peoples The Indigenous peoples of the Americas are the inhabitants of the Americas before the arrival of the European settlers in the 15th century, and the ethnic groups who now identify themselves with those peoples. Many Indigenous peoples of the Am ...

used many species for varied purposes. Cultures worldwide have used ''Eryngium'' extracts as

anti-inflammatory Anti-inflammatory is the property of a substance or treatment that reduces inflammation or swelling. Anti-inflammatory drugs, also called anti-inflammatories, make up about half of analgesics. These drugs remedy pain by reducing inflammation as o ...

agents. ''Eryngium'' yields an

essential oil An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile (easily evaporated at normal temperatures) chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetheroleum, or simply as the o ...

and contains many kinds of

terpenoid The terpenoids, also known as isoprenoids, are a class of naturally occurring organic chemicals derived from the 5-carbon compound isoprene and its derivatives called terpenes, diterpenes, etc. While sometimes used interchangeably with "terpenes" ...

saponin Saponins (Latin "sapon", soap + "-in", one of), also selectively referred to as triterpene glycosides, are bitter-tasting usually toxic plant-derived organic chemicals that have a foamy quality when agitated in water. They are widely distributed ...

flavonoid Flavonoids (or bioflavonoids; from the Latin word ''flavus'', meaning yellow, their color in nature) are a class of polyphenolic secondary metabolites found in plants, and thus commonly consumed in the diets of humans. Chemically, flavonoids ...

coumarin Coumarin () or 2''H''-chromen-2-one is an aromatic organic chemical compound with formula . Its molecule can be described as a benzene molecule with two adjacent hydrogen atoms replaced by a lactone-like chain , forming a second six-membered h ...

s, and

steroid A steroid is a biologically active organic compound with four rings arranged in a specific molecular configuration. Steroids have two principal biological functions: as important components of cell membranes that alter membrane fluidity; and a ...

s. The roots have been used as vegetables or

sweetmeats Confectionery is the Art (skill), art of making confections, which are food items that are rich in sugar and carbohydrates. Exact definitions are difficult. In general, however, confectionery is divided into two broad and somewhat overlappi ...

. Young shoots and leaves are sometimes used as vegetables like

asparagus Asparagus, or garden asparagus, folk name sparrow grass, scientific name ''Asparagus officinalis'', is a perennial flowering plant species in the genus ''Asparagus''. Its young shoots are used as a spring vegetable. It was once classified in ...

. '' E. foetidum'' is used as a

culinary herb In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...

in tropical parts of the Americas and Asia. It tastes similar to

coriander Coriander (;

or cilantro, and is sometimes mistaken for it. It may be called spiny coriander or culantro, or by its Vietnamese name of Ngo Gai.Ramcharan, C. 1999
Culantro: A much utilized, little understood herb.
p. 506–509. In: Janick, J. (ed.). ''Perspectives on New Crops and New Uses''. ASHS Press, Alexandria, VA.

References

Bibliography

External links

ITIS: ''Eryngium''.
{{Taxonbar, from=Q729143 Apiaceae genera Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus