''Stevia'' () is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of about 240
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of
herbs and
shrubs in the 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 ...
, native to
subtropical and tropical regions from western North America to South America.
The species ''
Stevia rebaudiana
''Stevia rebaudiana'' is a plant species in the genus ''Stevia'' of the family Asteraceae. It is commonly known as candyleaf, sweetleaf or sugarleaf.
It is a small seasonal plant which grows to a height of . It has elongated leaves that grow al ...
'' is widely grown for the sweet compounds (
steviol glycoside
Steviol glycosides are the chemical compounds responsible for the sweet taste of the leaves of the South American plant '' Stevia rebaudiana'' (Asteraceae) and the main ingredients (or precursors) of many sweeteners marketed under the generic na ...
s) extracted from its leaves, sold as a
sugar substitute under the generic name
stevia and several trade names.
Taxonomy
The genus ''Stevia'' consists of 240
species of plants native to
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...
,
Central America
Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
, and
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, with several species found as far north as
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
,
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...
, and
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
.
Human use of the sweet species ''S. rebaudiana'' originated in South America.
The genus was named for Spanish botanist and physician Petrus Jacobus Stevus (
Pedro Jaime Esteve 1500–1556), a professor of botany at the
University of Valencia
The University of Valencia ( ca-valencia, Universitat de València ; also known as UV) is a public research university located in the city of Valencia, Spain. It is one of the oldest surviving universities in Spain, and the oldest in the Vale ...
.
[.This reference refers specifically to ''Stevia eupatoria'', a related weed having the same nomenclature origin.]
References
External links
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{{Authority control
Herbs
Medicinal plants
Sugar substitutes
Asteraceae genera
Taxa named by Antonio José Cavanilles