Zanthoxylum

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Zanthoxylum
Illustration of Zanthoxylum piperitum

Illustration of Zanthoxylum piperitum

Systematics
Rosids
Eurosiden II
Order : Sapindales (Sapindales)
Family : Rhombus family (Rutaceae)
Subfamily : Toddalioideae
Genre : Zanthoxylum
Scientific name
Zanthoxylum
L.

Zanthoxylum is a genus of plants fromthe diamond family (Rutaceae). The direct translation of Zanthoxylum is “yellow wood”, Greek xanthos ξανθός “yellow” and xylon ξύλον “wood”, but several species of plants of different genera are so named, it describes one of the characteristic features, the color of the wood and that some species are used for yellowing were. Much more types arecalled Szechuan pepper , they provide hot-tasting spices that are not related to real pepper ( Piper nigrum ), but to citrus plants ( citrus ). The name Szechuan pepper is derived from the central Chinese province of Sichuan , where some of the types are native and used in the kitchen; As with the province, different spellings such as Sichuan, Sechuan or Szetschuan pepper are used.

description

Reinforced trunk of Zanthoxylum davyi
Fruits of Zanthoxylum clava-herculis

Appearance and leaves

Zanthoxylum species grow as evergreen or deciduous, climbing or upright shrubs or trees that are often prickly. They contain essential oils and so the bark and leaves in particular have an aromatic smell . Some species have yellowish wood (name).

The alternate leaves are stalked. The leathery or herbaceous leaf blade is compound; it is paired and unpaired pinnate with one to 31 pinnate leaves. The alternate or opposite pinnate leaves on the rachis have only one vein or are pinnate and are often dotted with glands. The leaf margin is smooth to notched. Stipules are present or absent.

Inflorescences and flowers

The small flowers are in differently structured inflorescences together with bracts . The flowers are rarely hermaphroditic or mostly functionally unisex. If the flowers are unisexual, the species are dioeciously separated ( dioecious ) or unisexual and hermaphroditic flowers are on one plant.

The small, fragrant flowers are radially symmetrical to somewhat zygomorphic with double or single perianth . There are either six to ten equally shaped bracts or three, four or five sepals and an equal number of petals . The bracts are mostly yellow-green. There is a ring-shaped disc. Four to six fertile stamens are present in the hermaphrodite and male flowers ; they are all the same or significantly different. Rudimentary stamens may be present or absent in the female flowers . The stamens are mostly more or less fused at their base, but not with the bracts. The hermaphrodite and female flowers contain one to five carpels below , they can be free or fused to form an ovary . There are two ovules per carpel . The one to five styles are completely free or partially fused. The scars are heady. Pollination occurs by insects ( entomophilia ).

Fruits and seeds

The fruits are either follicles that are either free or up to five (corresponding to the number of carpels per flower) are combined in one collective fruit . Or split fruits are formed that disintegrate into one to five partial fruits. The fruits contain one to five egg to spherical seeds.

distribution

The genus Zanthoxylum is pantropical to subtropical. Some species are also found in the temperate latitudes of eastern Asia and eastern North America. There are 41 species in China, 25 of which are endemic there. Some species are grown as crops.

Zanthoxylum americanum
Zanthoxylum capense
Zanthoxylum hawaiiense
Zanthoxylum piperitum
Zanthoxylum rhetsa
Zanthoxylum schinifolium
Zanthoxylum simulans
Zanthoxylum simulans

Systematics

Zanthoxylum belongs to the subfamily of Toddalioideae in the family of Rutaceae (Rutaceae). Synonyms for Zanthoxylum L. are: Fagara L. , Ochroxylum Schreb. , Xanthoxylum Mill. Orth. Var.

There are around 200 to 250 Zanthoxylum species (selection):

No longer belong to the genus:

use

In addition to the uses already mentioned as a spice or for yellowing, Zanthoxylum species are also used medicinally, for example as disinfecting toothbrushes in Africa or as components of toothpaste, are also part of traditional Chinese medicine.

Chemical ingredients

(1 S , 5 S ) - (-) - Sabinen

(1 S , 5 S ) - (-) - Sabinen occurs in the Indian medicinal plant Zanthoxylum rhetsa .

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Zanthoxylum in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), USDA , ARS , National Genetic Resources Program. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. Retrieved October 19, 2013
  2. ↑ Entry on Thujene. In: Römpp Online . Georg Thieme Verlag, accessed on March 2, 2012.

Web links

Commons : Zanthoxylum  - collection of images, videos and audio files