''Selinum'' is a
Eurasiatic
Eurasiatic is a proposed language macrofamily that would include many language families historically spoken in northern, western, and southern Eurasia.
The idea of a Eurasiatic superfamily dates back more than 100 years. Joseph Greenberg's prop ...
genus of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
s in the parsley 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 ...
.
Species
,
Plants of the World Online
Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It was launched in March 2017 with the ultimate aim being "to enable users to access information on all the world's known seed-bearing plants by ...
accepted the following species:
*''
Selinum alatum''
(M.Bieb.) Poir.
*''
Selinum broteroi''
Hoffmanns. & Link
*''
Selinum carvifolia
''Selinum carvifolia'' is a flowering plant of the genus ''Selinum'' in the family Apiaceae. The specific name ''carvifolia'' signifies 'having leaves resembling those of Caraway'.
It is a plant of fens and damp meadows, growing in most of Europe, ...
''
(L.) L.[ – Cambridge milk-parsley or little-leaf angelica
*'' Selinum coniifolium'' (Boiss.) Leute
*'' Selinum cryptotaenium'' H.Boissieu
*'' Selinum filicifolium'' (Edgew.) Nasir
*'' Selinum longicalycium'' M.L.Sheh
*'' Selinum pauciradium'' (Sommier & Levier) Leute
*'' Selinum physospermifolium'' (Albov) Hand
*'' Selinum rhodopetalum'' (Pimenov & Kljuykov) Hand
*'' Selinum vaginatum'' (Edgew.) C.B.Clarke
Species formerly placed in the genus include:
*''Selinum wallichianum'' – synonym of '' Ligusticopsis wallichiana''
*''Selinum tenuifolium'' – another synonym of ''Ligusticopsis wallichiana''
]
Folk-medicinal and ritual uses
Several Himalayan species belonging to the genus are both taken internally and burnt as ''dhoop'' or incense as sedative
A sedative or tranquilliser is a substance that induces sedation by reducing irritability or excitement. They are CNS depressants and interact with brain activity causing its deceleration. Various kinds of sedatives can be distinguished, but t ...
s to soothe mental turmoil of various kinds in Tantric rituals. Given that aphrodisiac
An aphrodisiac is a substance that increases sexual desire, sexual attraction, sexual pleasure, or sexual behavior. Substances range from a variety of plants, spices, foods, and synthetic chemicals. Natural aphrodisiacs like cannabis or cocain ...
properties are also reported they may also be used in practices related to sex magic
Sex magic (sometimes spelled sex magick) is any type of sexual activity used in magical, ritualistic or otherwise religious and spiritual pursuits. One practice of sex magic is using sexual arousal or orgasm with visualization of a desired re ...
/ sacred sexuality. They are aromatic and mildly psychoactive without being unduly toxic - some species are recorded as having been used both as human food and cattle fodder.[Quattrocchi, Umberto (2012). CRC World dictionary of medicinal and poisonous plants: common names, scientific names, eponyms, synonyms and etymology. Volume 5 R-Z. CRC Press Taylor and Francis Group, page 228.]
Notes
References
Biolib
Plants Database
Apioideae
Apioideae genera
{{Apiaceae-stub