''Opopanax'' is a genus of plants in the family Apiaceae.

Species

Opopanax include four species: *''

Opopanax chironium ''Opopanax chironium'', common name Hercules' all-heal, is a herb of the family Apiaceae. Subspecies *''Opopanax chironium'' subsp. ''chironium'' *''Opopanax chironium'' subsp. ''bulgaricum'' (Vel.) N.Andreev Description ''Opopanax chironium'' ...

'' (L.) W.D.J.Koch *''

Opopanax hispidus Opopanax ("the juice of all-heal") can refer to: Plants * '' Opopanax'', a genus in the family Apiaceae * ''Vachellia farnesiana'', a species in the family Fabaceae Gum resins * Perfumery's opopanax, the oleo-gum-resin of ''Commiphora guidott ...

'' (Friv.) Griseb. *''

Opopanax persicus Opopanax ("the juice of all-heal") can refer to: Plants * '' Opopanax'', a genus in the family Apiaceae * ''Vachellia farnesiana'', a species in the family Fabaceae Gum resins * Perfumery's opopanax, the oleo-gum-resin of ''Commiphora guidotti ...

'' Boiss. *''

Opopanax siifolius Opopanax ("the juice of all-heal") can refer to: Plants * '' Opopanax'', a genus in the family Apiaceae * ''Vachellia farnesiana'', a species in the family Fabaceae Gum resins * Perfumery's opopanax, the oleo-gum-resin of ''Commiphora guidotti ...

'' (Boiss. & Heldr.) Menemen

Etymology

The genus name ''Opopanax'' derives from Anglo-Norman ''opopanac'', from Latin opopanax, from Hellenistic Greek ὀποπάναξ, from Ancient Greek ὀπός (''opos'', "juice") + πάναξ (''panax'', "all-healing"). (subscription required) Therefore, ''opopanax'' literally means the juice ( gum

resin In polymer chemistry and materials science, resin is a solid or highly viscous substance of plant or synthetic origin that is typically convertible into polymers. Resins are usually mixtures of organic compounds. This article focuses on natu ...

) of all-heal. There were many different plants called all-heal (πάνακες or '' panaces'') in

Ancient Greece Ancient Greece ( el, Ἑλλάς, Hellás) was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity ( AD 600), that comprised a loose collection of cult ...

and

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. However, according to

Dioscorides Pedanius Dioscorides ( grc-gre, Πεδάνιος Διοσκουρίδης, ; 40–90 AD), “the father of pharmacognosy”, was a Greek physician, pharmacologist, botanist, and author of ''De materia medica'' (, On Medical Material) —a 5-vol ...

, ''opopanax'' was obtained specifically from a kind of all-heal named πάνακες Ἡράκλειον (''panaces Heraclion'', "Hercules' all-heal"), which has been identified as ''

'', '' O. persicus'' and '' O. hispidus'' The term ''opopanax'' traditionally refers to the medicinal gum resin of ''Opopanax'' sp., but in perfumery, opopanax refers to the gum resin of an unrelated species ''

Commiphora guidottii ''Commiphora guidottii'', commonly known as scented myrrh or bisabol, is a tree or shrub species that is native to the countries of Somalia and Ethiopia. Essential oil from its gum-resin has been researched for its use in topical treatment of wo ...

''.

Taxonomic history

The genus was created by Wilhelm Koch based on the species ''

'', previously known as ''Pastinaca opopanax'' L. and ''Ferula opopanax'' Spreng.

References

Apioideae Apioideae genera {{Apiaceae-stub