Eriodictyon californicum
| Eriodictyon californicum | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | (unplaced) |
| Family: | Boraginaceae |
| Subfamily: | Hydrophylloideae |
| Genus: | Eriodictyon |
| Species: | E. californicum |
| Binomial name | |
| Eriodictyon californicum (Hook. & Arn.) Torr. |
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| Synonyms | |
Eriodictyon californicum is a species of plant within the Hydrophyllaceae family. It is also known as Yerba Santa, Mountain Balm, Consumptive's Weed and Bear Weed.[2]
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[edit] Distribution
It is native to California and Oregon, where it grows in several types of habitats, including chaparral and Coast redwood forests.
[edit] Description
Eriodictyon californicum is a shrub growing one to three meters tall, typically found in clonal stands. The smaller branches and foliage are coated in a sticky resin and are often dusted with black fungi, Heterosporium californicum.[3] The narrow, long leaves are somewhat lance-shaped and up to 15 centimeters in length. They have an odor generally considered unpleasant and a bitter taste, making them unpalatable to most animals,[3] although it does have multiple insect herbivores. The inflorescence is a cluster of bell-shaped white to purplish flowers, each between one and two centimeters in length.
[edit] Taxonomy
When first described, the California Mountain Balm was placed in genus Wigandia, so its basionym is Wigandia californica.[1]
[edit] Medicinal use
The leaves have historically been used to treat asthma, upper respiratory infections and allergic rhinitis.[3]
[edit] Food use
Eriodictyol is one of the 4 flavanones identified in this plant by the Symrise Corporation as having taste-modifying properties, the other three being: homoeriodictyol, its sodium salt and sterubin.[4] These compounds have potential uses in food and pharmaceutical industry to mask bitter taste.
[edit] Environmental use
This species of shrub is used for revegetating damaged or disturbed lands, such as overgrazed rangeland.[3] It is, however, strongly fire-adapted, sprouting from rhizomes after wildfire and developing a waxy film of flammable resins on its foliage.[3]
[edit] Butterflies
Eriodictyon californicum is a specific Papilio eurymedon butterfly food and habitat plant.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Wigandia californica, the basionym for Eriodictyon californicum was first described and published in The Botany of Captain Beechey's Voyage 364, pl. 88. 1839. "Name - Wigandia californica Hook. & Arn.". Tropicos. Saint Louis, Missouri: Missouri Botanical Garden. http://tropicos.org/Name/50326000. Retrieved May 23, 2011. "Annotation: as 'Californica' "
- ^ Patricia Kaminski and Richard Katz. Yerba Santa Eriodictyon californicum. Flower Essence Society.
- ^ a b c d e Forest Service Fire Ecology
- ^ Ley, JP; Krammer, G; Reinders, G; Gatfield, IL; Bertram, HJ (2005). "Evaluation of bitter masking flavanones from Herba Santa (Eriodictyon californicum (H. And A.) Torr., Hydrophyllaceae)". Journal of agricultural and food chemistry 53 (15): 6061–6. doi:10.1021/jf0505170. PMID 16028996.
[edit] External links
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