''Cryptotaenia'', or honewort, is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

herb Herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typically distingu ...

aceous

perennial plant In horticulture, the term perennial (''wikt:per-#Prefix, per-'' + ''wikt:-ennial#Suffix, -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annual plant, annuals and biennial plant, biennials. It has thus been d ...

s, native to North America, Africa, and eastern Asia, growing wild in moist, shady places.

Species

Six species are accepted by

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online taxonomic database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. History Following the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew launched Plants of the World Online i ...

as of February 2025. Other studies suggested that the African and Canary Island species should be moved to other genera and that the Italian endemic '' Lereschia thomasii'' should be included in ''Cryptotaenia''. In 2016 the Canary Islands endemic ''Cryptotaenia elegans'' was moved to genus ''

Daucus ''Daucus'' is a worldwide genus of herbaceous plants of the celery family Apiaceae of which the best-known species is the cultivated carrot. ''Daucus'' has about 45 species. The oldest carrot fossil is 1.3 Ma, and was found on the island of Made ...

'' as '' Daucus elegans''. #''

Cryptotaenia africana ''Cryptotaenia'', or honewort, is a genus of herbaceous perennial plants, native to North America, Africa, and eastern Asia, growing wild in moist, shady places. Species Six species are accepted by Plants of the World Online as of February 2025. ...

'' (Hook.f.) Drude - Gabon #'' Cryptotaenia calycina'' C.C.Towns. - Tanzania # '' Cryptotaenia canadensis'' (L.) DC. - eastern + central North America #''

Cryptotaenia flahaultii ''Cryptotaenia'', or honewort, is a genus of herbaceous perennial plants, native to North America, Africa, and eastern Asia, growing wild in moist, shady places. Species Six species are accepted by Plants of the World Online as of February 2025. ...

'' (Woronow) Koso-Pol. - Republic of Georgia # ''

Cryptotaenia japonica ''Cryptotaenia japonica'', commonly called mitsuba, Japanese wild parsley and Japanese honewort among other names, is a herbaceous perennial plant in the celery family native to Japan, Korea and China China, officially the People's Rep ...

'' Hassk. - Japan, Korea, China #''

Cryptotaenia polygama ''Cryptotaenia'', or honewort, is a genus of herbaceous perennial plants, native to North America, Africa, and eastern Asia, growing wild in moist, shady places. Species Six species are accepted by Plants of the World Online as of February 2025. ...

'' C.C.Towns. - TanzaniaTownsend, Clifford Charles. Kew Bulletin 38: 57. 1983.

Formerly placed here

*'' Daucus elegans'' (as ''Cryptotaenia elegans'' Webb ex Bolle)

References

External links

Efloras.org: Taxonomy description of ''Cryptotaenia japonica''

Plants for a Future database.org: ''Cryptotaenia japonica''
Apioideae Edible Apiaceae Taxa named by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle Apioideae genera {{Apiaceae-stub