''Swertia'' is a genus in the gentian family containing plants sometimes referred to as the felworts. Some species bear very showy purple and blue flowers. Many members of this genus have medicinal and cultural purposes. Plants of genus ''

Frasera ''Frasera'', the green gentians, is a genus in the gentian family, native to North America and named for John Fraser, a Scottish botanist and colleague of Thomas Walter.The Frasera (Walter, 1795) were named for John Fraser. (Linn. 4-Tetrandria, i ...

'' are sometimes considered part of this genus, sometimes as a separate genus, and sometimes as synonymous.

Selected species

Species in the genus ''Swertia'' include, but are not limited to: * ''

Swertia angustifolia ''Swertia'' is a genus in the gentian family containing plants sometimes referred to as the felworts. Some species bear very showy purple and blue flowers. Many members of this genus have medicinal and cultural purposes. Plants of genus ''Fraser ...

'' Buch.-Ham. ''ex'' D. Don * ''

Swertia bimaculata ''Swertia bimaculata'' is a plant species in the family Gentianaceae. References bimaculata Flora of temperate Asia Plants described in 1846 Taxa named by Philipp Franz von Siebold Taxa named by Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini Taxa named by ...

'' (Siebold & Zucc.) C. B. Clarke ** ''Swertia bimaculata'' (Siebold & Zucc.) Hook. f. & Thoms. * ''

Swertia calcicola ''Swertia'' is a genus in the gentian family containing plants sometimes referred to as the felworts. Some species bear very showy purple and blue flowers. Many members of this genus have medicinal and cultural purposes. Plants of genus ''Fraser ...

'' Kerr. * ''

Swertia chinensis ''Swertia'' is a genus in the gentian family containing plants sometimes referred to as the felworts. Some species bear very showy purple and blue flowers. Many members of this genus have medicinal and cultural purposes. Plants of genus ''Fraser ...

'' (Griseb.) Franch. ** ''

Swertia diluta ''Swertia'' is a genus in the gentian family containing plants sometimes referred to as the felworts. Some species bear very showy purple and blue flowers. Many members of this genus have medicinal and cultural purposes. Plants of genus ''Fraser ...

'' (Turcz.) Benth. & Hook. f. * ''Swertia chirayita'' (Roxb. ''ex'' Fleming) H. Karst. ** ''Swertia chirata'' (Wall.) C. B. Clarke * ''

Swertia ciliata ''Swertia'' is a genus in the gentian family containing plants sometimes referred to as the felworts. Some species bear very showy purple and blue flowers. Many members of this genus have medicinal and cultural purposes. Plants of genus ''Fraser ...

'' (D. Don ''ex'' G. Don) B. L. Burtt. * ''

Swertia cordata ''Swertia cordata'' is an important medicinal plant of the family Gentianaceae and is found distributed throughout temperate regions of the Himalaya. The species used in various ethnomedicinal systems and as an adulterant of '' Swertia chirayit ...

'' (Wall. ''ex'' G. Don) C.B. Clarke * ''

Swertia dilatata ''Swertia'' is a genus in the gentian family containing plants sometimes referred to as the felworts. Some species bear very showy purple and blue flowers. Many members of this genus have medicinal and cultural purposes. Plants of genus ''Fraser ...

'' C. B. Clarke * ''

Swertia hookeri ''Swertia'' is a genus in the Gentianaceae, gentian family containing plants sometimes referred to as the felworts. Some species bear very showy purple and blue flowers. Many members of this genus have medicinal and cultural purposes. Plants of ...

'' C. B. Clarke * ''

Swertia japonica ''Swertia'' is a genus in the gentian family containing plants sometimes referred to as the felworts. Some species bear very showy purple and blue flowers. Many members of this genus have medicinal and cultural purposes. Plants of genus ''Fraser ...

'' (Roem. & Schult.) (Makino) (known by the common names Japanese felwort and Japanese star swertia.) * ''

Swertia leduci ''Swertia'' is a genus in the gentian family containing plants sometimes referred to as the felworts. Some species bear very showy purple and blue flowers. Many members of this genus have medicinal and cultural purposes. Plants of genus ''Fraser ...

'' Franch. ** ''Swertia mileensis'' T. N. Ho & W. L. Shih * ''

Swertia macrosperma ''Swertia'' is a genus in the gentian family containing plants sometimes referred to as the felworts. Some species bear very showy purple and blue flowers. Many members of this genus have medicinal and cultural purposes. Plants of genus ''Fraser ...

'' C. B. Clarke * ''

Swertia multicaulis ''Swertia'' is a genus in the gentian family containing plants sometimes referred to as the felworts. Some species bear very showy purple and blue flowers. Many members of this genus have medicinal and cultural purposes. Plants of genus ''Fraser ...

'' D. Don * ''

Swertia nervosa ''Swertia'' is a genus in the gentian family containing plants sometimes referred to as the felworts. Some species bear very showy purple and blue flowers. Many members of this genus have medicinal and cultural purposes. Plants of genus ''Fraser ...

'' (G. Don) C. B. Clarke * ''

Swertia perennis ''Swertia perennis'' is a species of flowering plant in the gentian family known by the common names felwort and star swertia. It is native to several regions of the northern hemisphere, including much of Eurasia and western North America. It is ...

'' L. * ''

Swertia punicea ''Swertia punicea'' is a plant species in the genus ''Swertia''. The xanthonoid A xanthonoid is a chemical natural phenolic compound formed from the xanthone backbone. Many members of the Clusiaceae contain xanthonoids. Xanthonoid biosynthesi ...

'' Hemsl. * ''

Swertia purpurascens ''Swertia'' is a genus in the gentian family containing plants sometimes referred to as the felworts. Some species bear very showy purple and blue flowers. Many members of this genus have medicinal and cultural purposes. Plants of genus ''Fraser ...

'' (D. Don) A. Wall ''ex'' E. D. Clarke * ''

Swertia striata ''Swertia'' is a genus in the gentian family containing plants sometimes referred to as the felworts. Some species bear very showy purple and blue flowers. Many members of this genus have medicinal and cultural purposes. Plants of genus ''Fraser ...

'' Collett & Hemsl. * ''

Swertia tibetica ''Swertia'' is a genus in the gentian family containing plants sometimes referred to as the felworts. Some species bear very showy purple and blue flowers. Many members of this genus have medicinal and cultural purposes. Plants of genus ''Fraser ...

'' Batal. * ''

Swertia tongluensis ''Swertia'' is a genus in the gentian family containing plants sometimes referred to as the felworts. Some species bear very showy purple and blue flowers. Many members of this genus have medicinal and cultural purposes. Plants of genus ''Fraser ...

'' Burkill

Chemical constituents

''Swertia'' contains the chemicals sawertiamarine, mangeferin and amarogenitine 1,5,8-trihydroxy-3-methoxyxanthone, 1-hydroxy-2,3,5,7-tetramethoxyxanthone, 1-hydroxy-3,5,8-trimethoxyxanthone, 1-hydroxyl-2,3,4,6-tetramethoxyxanthone, 1-hydroxy-2,3,4,7-tetramethoxyxanthone, 1,8-dihydroxy-3,5-dimethoxyxanthone, 1,7-dihydroxy-3,8-dimethoxyxanthone, 1,3,5,8-tetrahydroxyxanthone, balanophonin, oleanolic acid, maslinic acid, and sumaresinolic acid. Swerilactones from ''Swertia mileensis'' showed anti- hepatitis B virus activity '' in vitro''.

Traditional medicine

''Swertia'' is used in Indian Ayurvedic Herbal System to cure Fever as in Laghu sudarshana churna, Maha sudarshan Churna and in Tibetan folk medicine. It is also one of most widely used medicinal plants of Sikkim, and is considered Vulnerable based on

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

CAMP Criteria.

References

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment

{{Taxonbar, from=Q163970 Swertia Gentianaceae genera Flora of Nepal Flora of North America