Elephantopus is a genus of perennial plants in the daisy family (Asteraceae).[3][4][5]

Elephantopus
Elephantopus scaber in India
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Subfamily: Cichorioideae
Tribe: Vernonieae
Genus: Elephantopus
L.
Type species
Elephantopus scaber
Synonyms[2]
  • Elephantosis Less.
  • Anaschovadi Adans.
  • Elephantopsis (Sch.Bip.) C.F.Baker
  • Chaetospira S.F.Blake

The genus is widespread over much of Africa, southern Asia, Australia, and the Americas.[2] Several species are native to the southeastern United States,[6][7] and at least one is native to India and the Himalayas.[8][9][10]

Uses

edit

Elephantopus scaber is a traditional medicine[11] and other species, including E. mollis[12] and E. carolinianus,[13] have also been investigated for medicinal properties. Elephantopus scaber contains elephantopin which is a germacranolide sesquiterpene lactone containing two lactone rings and an epoxide functional group.[14]

Species

edit
Accepted species[2]

References

edit
 
Elephantopus tomentosus in the United States
  1. ^ Baker, C. F. 1902. A revision of the Elephantopeae--1. Transactions of the Academy of Science of St. Louis 12: 43-56 in English
  2. ^ a b c Flann, C (ed) 2009+ Global Compositae Checklist
  3. ^ Linnaeus, Carl von. 1753. Species Plantarum 2: 814 in Latin
  4. ^ Baker, C. F. 1902. A revision of the Elephantopeae--1. Transactions of the Academy of Science of St. Louis 12: plate IX line drawings of fruits of several species of Elephantopus and Pseudelephantopus (captions on page 56)
  5. ^ Clonts, J. A. 1972. A Revision of the Genus Elephantopus Including Orthopappus and Pseudelephantopus (Compositae). Ph.D. thesis. Mississippi State University.
  6. ^ "Elephantopus L." United States Department of Agriculture plants profile.
  7. ^ Flora of North America, Elephant’s foot, Elephantopus Linnaeus
  8. ^ Press, J.R.; Shrestha, K.K. & Sutton, D.A. "Elephantopus L." Annotated Checklist of the Flowering Plants of Nepal. Retrieved 2009-06-15.
  9. ^ Flora of China Vol. 20-21 Page 368 地胆草属 di dan cao shu Elephantopus Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 814. 1753.
  10. ^ Forzza, R. C. 2010. Lista de espécies Flora do Brasil "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-09-06. Retrieved 2015-08-20.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link). Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro
  11. ^ Poli, A; Nicolau, M; Simoes, Cm; Nicolau, Rm; Zanin, M (August 1992). "Preliminary pharmacologic evaluation of crude whole plant extracts of Elephantopus scaber. Part I: in vivo studies". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 37 (1): 71–6. doi:10.1016/0378-8741(92)90005-C. ISSN 0378-8741. PMID 1453704.
  12. ^ Tabopda, Tk; Liu, J; Ngadjui, Bt; Luu, B (Apr 2007). "Cytotoxic triterpene and sesquiterpene lactones from Elephantopus mollis and induction of apoptosis in neuroblastoma cells". Planta Medica. 73 (4): 376–80. doi:10.1055/s-2007-967132. ISSN 0032-0943. PMID 17366372.
  13. ^ Lee, Kh; Cowherd, Cm; Wolo, Mt (September 1975). "Antitumor agents. XV: Deoxyelephantopin, an antitumor principle from Elephantopus carolinianus Willd". Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. 64 (9): 1572–3. doi:10.1002/jps.2600640938. ISSN 0022-3549. PMID 1185584.
  14. ^ Rajkapoor B, Jayakar B, Anandan R (Jan–Feb 2002). "Antitumor activity of Elephantopus scaber linn against Dalton's ascitis lymphoma". Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. 64 (1): 71–3. Archived from the original on 2012-06-30.

  Media related to Elephantopus at Wikimedia Commons