''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'' are sometimes considered part of this genus, sometimes as a separate genus, and sometimes as synonymous.
Selected species
According to
Plants of the World Online
Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online taxonomic database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
History
Following the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew launched Plants of the World Online i ...
, the genus has 165 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 '' Fras ...
''
Buch.-Ham. ''ex'' D. Don
* ''
Swertia bimaculata''
(Siebold & Zucc.) C. B. Clarke
** ''Swertia bimaculata''
(Siebold & Zucc.) Hook. f. & Thoms.
* ''
Swertia calcicola''
Kerr.
* ''
Swertia chinensis''
(Griseb.) Franch.
** ''
Swertia diluta''
(Turcz.) Benth. & Hook. f.
* ''Swertia chirayita''
(Roxb. ''ex'' Fleming) H. Karst.
** ''Swertia chirata''
(Wall.) C. B. Clarke
* ''
Swertia ciliata''
(D. Don ''ex'' G. Don) B. L. Burtt.
* ''
Swertia cordata
''Swertia cordata'' is an important medicinal plant of the family Gentianaceae
Gentianaceae is a family of flowering plants of 105 genera and about 1600 species.
Etymology
The family takes its name from the genus ''Gentiana'', named after th ...
''
(Wall. ''ex'' G. Don) C.B. Clarke
* ''
Swertia dilatata''
C. B. Clarke
* ''
Swertia hookeri''
C. B. Clarke
* ''
Swertia japonica
''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 ...
''
(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 '' Fras ...
''
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 '' Fras ...
''
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 '' Fras ...
''
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 '' Fras ...
''
(G. Don) C. B. Clarke
* ''
Swertia perennis
''Swertia perennis'' is a species of flowering plant in the Gentianaceae, 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 A ...
''
L.
* ''
Swertia pseudochinensis
''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 '' Fras ...
'' H.Hara
* ''
Swertia punicea
''Swertia punicea'' is a species of flowering plant in the family ''Gentianaceae''.
The xanthonoid
A xanthonoid is a chemical natural phenolic compound formed from the xanthone backbone. Many members of the Clusiaceae
The Clusiaceae or Gut ...
''
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 '' Fras ...
''
(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 '' Fras ...
''
Collett & Hemsl.
* ''
Swertia tashiroi
''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 '' Fras ...
'' (Maxim.) Makino
* ''
Swertia tetrapetala
''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 '' Fras ...
'' Pall.
* ''
Swertia tibetica''
Batal.
* ''
Swertia tongluensis''
Burkill
* ''
Swertia tozanensis'' Hayata
* ''
Swertia trichotoma'' Wight ex C.B.Clarke
* ''
Swertia uniflora
''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 '' Fras ...
'' Mildbr.
* ''
Swertia usambarensis'' Engl.
* ''
Swertia veratroides'' Maxim. ex Kom.
* ''
Swertia verticillifolia'' T.N.Ho & S.W.Liu
* ''
Swertia virescens'' Harry Sm.
* ''
Swertia volkensii'' Gilg
* ''
Swertia wardii'' C.Marquand
* ''
Swertia wattii
''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 '' Fras ...
'' C.B.Clarke
* ''
Swertia welwitschii'' Engl.
* ''
Swertia wolfgangiana'' Grüning
* ''
Swertia woodii'' J.Shah
* ''
Swertia yezo-alpina'' H.Hara
* ''
Swertia younghusbandii'' Burkill
* ''
Swertia yunnanensis'' Burkill
* ''
Swertia zayuensis'' T.N.Ho & S.W.Liu
* ''
Swertia zeylanica
''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 '' Fras ...
'' (Griseb.) Walker ex C.B.Clarke
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
Oleanolic acid or oleanic acid is a naturally occurring pentacyclic triterpenoid related to betulinic acid. It is widely distributed in food and plants where it exists as a free acid or as an aglycone of triterpenoid saponins.
Natural occurren ...
,
maslinic acid, and
sumaresinolic acid.
Swerilactones from ''Swertia mileensis'' showed anti-
hepatitis B virus
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a partially double-stranded DNA virus, a species of the genus '' Orthohepadnavirus'' and a member of the '' Hepadnaviridae'' family of viruses. This virus causes the disease hepatitis B.
Classification
Hepatitis B ...
activity ''
in vitro
''In vitro'' (meaning ''in glass'', or ''in the glass'') Research, studies are performed with Cell (biology), cells or biological molecules outside their normal biological context. Colloquially called "test-tube experiments", these studies in ...
''.
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
Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) refers to the knowledge, skills, and practices rooted in the cultural beliefs of various societies, especially Indigenous groups, used for maintaining health and treatin ...
. It is also one of the most widely used medicinal plants of
Sikkim
Sikkim ( ; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Koshi Province of Nepal in the west, and West Bengal in the ...
, and is considered Vulnerable based on
IUCN
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status ...
CAMP Criteria.
References
External links
Jepson Manual Treatment
{{Authority control
Swertia
''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 '' Fras ...
Gentianaceae genera
Flora of Nepal
Flora of Northern America
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus