''Selinum'' is a
Eurasiatic genus of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. They include all forbs (flowering plants without a woody stem), grasses and grass-like plants, a vast majority of ...
s in the parsley family
Apiaceae
Apiaceae or Umbelliferae is a family of mostly aromatic flowering plants named after the type genus '' Apium'' and commonly known as the celery, carrot or parsley family, or simply as umbellifers. It is the 16th-largest family of flowering plant ...
.
Species
,
Plants of the World Online
Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It was launched in March 2017 with the ultimate aim being "to enable users to access information on all the world's known seed-bearing plants ...
accepted the following species:
*''
Selinum alatum''
(M.Bieb.) Poir.
*''
Selinum broteroi''
Hoffmanns. & Link
*''
Selinum carvifolia''
(L.) L.[ – Cambridge milk-parsley or little-leaf angelica
*'' Selinum coniifolium'' (Boiss.) Leute
*'' Selinum cryptotaenium'' H.Boissieu
*'' Selinum filicifolium'' (Edgew.) Nasir
*'' Selinum longicalycium'' M.L.Sheh
*'' Selinum pauciradium'' (Sommier & Levier) Leute
*'' Selinum physospermifolium'' (Albov) Hand
*'' Selinum rhodopetalum'' (Pimenov & Kljuykov) Hand
*'' Selinum vaginatum'' (Edgew.) C.B.Clarke
Species formerly placed in the genus include:
*''Selinum wallichianum'' – synonym of '' Ligusticopsis wallichiana''
*''Selinum tenuifolium'' – another synonym of ''Ligusticopsis wallichiana''
]
Folk-medicinal and ritual uses
Several Himalayan species belonging to the genus are both taken internally and burnt as ''dhoop'' or incense as sedative
A sedative or tranquilliser is a substance that induces sedation by reducing irritability or excitement. They are CNS depressants and interact with brain activity causing its deceleration. Various kinds of sedatives can be distinguished, but ...
s to soothe mental turmoil of various kinds in Tantric rituals. Given that aphrodisiac
An aphrodisiac is a substance that increases sexual desire, sexual attraction, sexual pleasure, or sexual behavior. Substances range from a variety of plants, spices, foods, and synthetic chemicals. Natural aphrodisiacs like cannabis or coca ...
properties are also reported they may also be used in practices related to sex magic / sacred sexuality. They are aromatic and mildly psychoactive without being unduly toxic - some species are recorded as having been used both as human food and cattle fodder.[Quattrocchi, Umberto (2012). CRC World dictionary of medicinal and poisonous plants: common names, scientific names, eponyms, synonyms and etymology. Volume 5 R-Z. CRC Press Taylor and Francis Group, page 228.]
Notes
References
Biolib
Plants Database
Apioideae
Apioideae genera
{{Apiaceae-stub