''Glehnia'' 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 plants in the carrot family,

Apiaceae Apiaceae or Umbelliferae is a family of mostly aromatic flowering plants named after the type genus ''Apium'' and commonly known as the celery, carrot or parsley family, or simply as umbellifers. It is the 16th-largest family of flowering plants ...

. It is

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

, being represented by the single species, ''Glehnia littoralis'', commonly known as beach silvertop and American silvertop. The genus was named after Russian botanist

Peter von Glehn Peter von Glehn (russian: Пётр Петрович Глен, translit=Pëtr Petrovič Glen; in Jelgimeggi Manor – in Saint Petersburg) was a Baltic German botanist. Peter von Glehn was born in the Jelgimeggi manor () in 1835, to a Baltic ...

Description

It is a long-

taproot A taproot is a large, central, and dominant root from which other roots sprout laterally. Typically a taproot is somewhat straight and very thick, is tapering in shape, and grows directly downward. In some plants, such as the carrot, the taproo ...

ed plant forming a basal patch of

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 ...

, with each leaf made up of several rounded,

lobular In anatomy, a lobe is a clear anatomical division or extension of an organ (as seen for example in the brain, lung, liver, or kidney) that can be determined without the use of a microscope at the gross anatomy level. This is in contrast to the muc ...

segments. It reaches a maximum height exceeding , with the North American

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

only reported to reach . The plant's erect stem is topped with an

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 ...

of carrotlike white flowers.

Chemistry

The plant contains naphthisoxazole A.

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 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., ...

to northern

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 ...

. It can be found on sandy beaches and dunes.

Uses

The plant is perhaps best known as a Chinese herbal remedy for

cough A cough is a sudden expulsion of air through the large breathing passages that can help clear them of fluids, irritants, foreign particles and microbes. As a protective reflex, coughing can be repetitive with the cough reflex following three pha ...

.Tang, Weici and Eisenbrand, Gerhard Handbook of Chinese Medicinal Plants : Chemistry, Pharmacology, Toxicology, pub. Wiley-VCH 2011 Vol.1 pps. 599-600 ''Glehnia littoralis''.

References

External links

*
USDA Plants ProfileFlora of ChinaPhoto gallery
Apioideae Flora of Alaska Flora of California Flora of China Flora of Japan Flora of the Russian Far East Flora of the West Coast of the United States Flora of Western Canada Medicinal plants of Asia Medicinal plants of North America Plants used in traditional Chinese medicine Monotypic Apioideae genera {{medicinal-plant-stub