''Eryngium'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

of flowering plants in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Apiaceae. There are about 250 species.Wang, P., et al. (2012)
Phytochemical constituents and pharmacological activities of ''Eryngium'' L. (Apiaceae).
''Pharmaceutical Crops'' 3 99-120. The genus has a

cosmopolitan distribution In biogeography, cosmopolitan distribution is the term for the range of a taxon that extends across all or most of the world in appropriate habitats. Such a taxon, usually a species, is said to exhibit cosmopolitanism or cosmopolitism. The extr ...

, with the

center of diversity A center of origin is a geographical area where a group of organisms, either domesticated or wild, first developed its distinctive properties. They are also considered centers of diversity. Centers of origin were first identified in 1924 by Ni ...

in South America. Common names include eryngo and sea holly (though not to be confused with true hollies, of the genus '' Ilex''). These are annual and

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also widel ...

herbs with hairless and usually spiny

leaves A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, st ...

. The dome-shaped

umbel In botany, an umbel is an inflorescence that consists of a number of short flower stalks (called pedicels) that spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs. The word was coined in botanical usage in the 1590s, from Latin ''umbella'' "p ...

s of steely blue or white

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanis ...

s have whorls of spiny basal

bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or o ...

s. Some species are

native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...

to rocky and coastal areas, but the majority are

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses ( Poaceae). However, sedge ( Cyperaceae) and rush ( Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur na ...

plants. In the language of flowers, they represent admiration.

Species

Eryngium agavifolium - Copenhagen Botanical Garden - 1

5689 - Schynige Platte - Eryngium alpinum

Species include:GRIN Species Records of ''Eryngium''.
Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).''Eryngium'' of North America.
USDA PLANTS. *'' Eryngium agavifolium'' Griseb. - agave-leaved sea holly *'' Eryngium alismifolium'' - Modoc eryngo *'' Eryngium alpinum'' - alpine eryngo *'' Eryngium amethystinum'' - amethyst eryngo *'' Eryngium aquaticum'' - rattlesnake master *'' Eryngium aristulatum'' - California eryngo *'' Eryngium armatum'' - coastal eryngo *'' Eryngium aromaticum'' - fragrant eryngo *'' Eryngium articulatum'' - beethistle *'' Eryngium baldwinii'' – Baldwin's eryngo *'' Eryngium billardieri'' *'' Eryngium bourgatii'' - Bourgati's eryngo *'' Eryngium bromelifolium'' *'' Eryngium caeruleum'' *'' Eryngium campestre'' - field eryngo *'' Eryngium carlinae'' - ''gravatá'' *'' Eryngium castrense'' - Great Valley eryngo *'' Eryngium constancei'' - Loch Lomond coyote thistle *'' Eryngium corniculatum'' *'' Eryngium coucasicum'' - An herb form Northern Iran known as choochagh *'' Eryngium creticum'' *'' Eryngium cuneifolium'' - wedgeleaf eryngo, snakeroot *'' Eryngium depressum'' *'' Eryngium dichotomum'' *'' Eryngium diffusum'' – spreading eryngo *'' Eryngium dilatatum'' *'' Eryngium divaricatum'' – ballast eryngo *'' Eryngium dorae'' *'' Eryngium duriaei'' *'' Eryngium ebracteatum'' *'' Eryngium eburneum'' *'' Eryngium elegans'' *'' Eryngium foetidum'' - false coriander, stinkweed, culantro *''

Eryngium giganteum ''Eryngium giganteum'', with the common name Miss Willmott's ghost, is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae. The short-lived herbaceous perennial thistle is native to the Caucasus and Iran in Western Asia. Description ''Eryngium ...

'' - giant sea holly, Miss Wilmott's ghost *'' Eryngium glaciale'' *'' Eryngium heterophyllum'' - Mexican thistle, Wright's eryngo *'' Eryngium hookeri'' - Hooker's eryngo *'' Eryngium humile'' *'' Eryngium inaccessum'' *'' Eryngium integrifolium'' – blueflower eryngo *'' Eryngium jaliscense'' *'' Eryngium leavenworthii'' - Leavenworth's eryngo *'' Eryngium lemmonii'' – Chiricahua Mountain eryngo *'' Eryngium maritimum'' - sea holly, seaside eryngo *'' Eryngium mathiasiae'' – Mathias' eryngo *'' Eryngium monocephalum'' *'' Eryngium nasturtiifolium'' – ''hierba del sapo'' *'' Eryngium nudicaule'' *'' Eryngium ombrophilum'' *'' Eryngium ovinum'' - blue devil *'' Eryngium palmatum'' *'' Eryngium paludosum'' - long eryngium *''

Eryngium pandanifolium ''Eryngium pandanifolium'', called the pandan-like-leaved eryngo, is a species of flowering plant in the genus ''Eryngium'', native to Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina, and introduced in Australia, New Zealand and Portugal. It has gained ...

'' *'' Eryngium paniculatum'' *'' Eryngium pectinatum'' *''

Eryngium pendletonense ''Eryngium pendletonense'' (sometimes spelled ''E. pendletonensis'') is a rare species of flowering plant in the Apiaceae, carrot family known by the common name Pendleton button-celery. It is Endemism, endemic to northern San Diego County, Calif ...

'' - Pendleton button-celery *'' Eryngium petiolatum'' – rushleaf eryngo, Oregon coyote thistle *'' Eryngium phyteumae'' – Huachuca Mountain eryngo *'' Eryngium pinnatifidum'' - blue devils *'' Eryngium pinnatisectum'' – Tuolumne eryngo *'' Eryngium planum'' - blue eryngo, plains eryngo *'' Eryngium prostratum'' - creeping eryngo *'' Eryngium proteiflorum'' *''

Eryngium racemosum ''Eryngium racemosum'' is a rare species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae known by the common name delta eryngo, or delta button celery. Distribution It is endemic to California, where it is known from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Rive ...

'' – delta eryngo *'' Eryngium rostratum'' - blue devil *'' Eryngium sanguisorba'' *'' Eryngium serbicum'' *'' Eryngium serra'' *'' Eryngium sparganophyllum'' – Arizona eryngo *'' Eryngium spinosepalum'' - spinysepal eryngo *'' Eryngium tenue'' *'' Eryngium tricuspidatum'' *'' Eryngium triquetrum'' *'' Eryngium variifolium'' - Moroccan sea holly *'' Eryngium vaseyi'' - coyote thistle *'' Eryngium vesiculosum'' - prickfoot *'' Eryngium viviparum'' *'' Eryngium yuccifolium'' - rattlesnake master, button snakeroot

Uses

Species are grown as

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that ...

s in gardens. Numerous hybrids have been selected for garden use, of which ''E.'' × ''oliverianum'' and ''E.'' × ''tripartitum'' have gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nor ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

. Another is ''E. x zabelii'' 'Big Blue', whose parentage is ''E. alpinum'' x ''E. bourgatii''. Many species of ''Eryngium'' have been used as food and medicine. '' Eryngium campestre'' is used as a folk medicine in

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...

. In Iran, Eryngium (Boghnagh فارسی- بوقناق) is used as herbal tea to lower blood sugar. '' Eryngium creticum'' is a herbal remedy for

scorpion Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always en ...

stings in

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...

. '' Eryngium elegans'' is used in

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...

and '' Eryngium foetidum'' in Latin America and South-East Asia.

Native American peoples The Indigenous peoples of the Americas are the inhabitants of the Americas before the arrival of the European settlers in the 15th century, and the ethnic groups who now identify themselves with those peoples. Many Indigenous peoples of the Am ...

used many species for varied purposes. Cultures worldwide have used ''Eryngium'' extracts as anti-inflammatory agents. ''Eryngium'' yields an

essential oil An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile (easily evaporated at normal temperatures) chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetheroleum, or simply as the o ...

and contains many kinds of terpenoids, saponins, flavonoids, coumarins, and

steroid A steroid is a biologically active organic compound with four rings arranged in a specific molecular configuration. Steroids have two principal biological functions: as important components of cell membranes that alter membrane fluidity; and ...

s. The roots have been used as vegetables or sweetmeats. Young shoots and leaves are sometimes used as vegetables like asparagus. '' E. foetidum'' is used as a culinary herb in tropical parts of the Americas and Asia. It tastes similar to

coriander Coriander (;

or cilantro, and is sometimes mistaken for it. It may be called spiny coriander or culantro, or by its Vietnamese name of Ngo Gai.Ramcharan, C. 1999
Culantro: A much utilized, little understood herb.
p. 506–509. In: Janick, J. (ed.). ''Perspectives on New Crops and New Uses''. ASHS Press, Alexandria, VA.

References

Bibliography

External links

ITIS: ''Eryngium''.
{{Taxonbar, from=Q729143 Apiaceae genera Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus