''Officinalis'', or ''officinale'', is a

Medieval Latin Medieval Latin was the form of Literary Latin Classical Latin is the form of Literary Latin recognized as a Literary language, literary standard language, standard by writers of the late Roman Republic and early Roman Empire. It was used f ...

epithet An epithet (, ), also byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) known for accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, di ...

denoting

organism In biology, an organism () is any life, living system that functions as an individual entity. All organisms are composed of cells (cell theory). Organisms are classified by taxonomy (biology), taxonomy into groups such as Multicellular o ...

s—mainly plants—with uses in medicine,

herbalism Herbal medicine (also herbalism) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. With worldwide research into pharmacology, some herbal medicines have been translated into modern remedie ...

and cookery. It commonly occurs as a

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

, the second term of a two-part botanical name. ''Officinalis'' is used to modify masculine and feminine nouns, while ''officinale'' is used for neuter nouns.

Etymology

The word literally means 'of or belonging to an ', the storeroom of a monastery, where medicines and other necessaries were kept. was a contraction of , from ( gen. ) 'worker, maker, doer' (from 'work') + , , 'one who does', from 'do, perform'. When

Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, t ...

invented the

binomial system of nomenclature In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, b ...

, he gave the specific name ''officinalis'', in the 1735 (1st Edition) of his , to plants (and sometimes animals) with an established medicinal, culinary, or other use.Pearn J.,"On 'officinalis' the names of plants as one enduring history of therapeutic medicine. ''Vesalius''. 2010 Dec;Suppl:24-8 Authors:

Species

*'' Althaea officinalis'' (marshmallow) *'' Anchusa officinalis'' (bugloss) *'' Asparagus officinalis'' (asparagus) *'' Avicennia officinalis'' (mangrove) *'' Bistorta officinalis'' (European bistort) *'' Borago officinalis'' (borage) *'' Buddleja officinalis'' (pale butterflybush) *'' Calendula officinalis'' (pot marigold) *'' Cinchona officinalis'' (quinine) *''

Cochlearia officinalis ''Cochlearia officinalis'', common scurvygrass, scurvy-grass, or spoonwort, is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae. The plant acquired its common name from the observation that it cured scurvy, and it was taken on board ship ...

'' (scurvygrass) *'' Corallina officinalis'' (a seaweed) *'' Cornus officinalis'' (cornelian cherry) *'' Cyathula officinalis'' (ox knee) *'' Cynoglossum officinale'' (houndstongue) *'' Euphrasia officinalis'' (eyebright) *'' Fumaria officinalis'' (fumitory) *'' Galega officinalis'' (goat's rue) *'' Gratiola officinalis'' (hedge hyssop) *'' Guaiacum officinale'' (''lignum vitae'') *''

Hyssopus officinalis ''Hyssopus officinalis'' or hyssop is a shrub in the Lamiaceae or mint family native to Southern Europe, the Middle East, and the region surrounding the Caspian Sea. Due to its purported properties as an antiseptic, cough reliever, and expe ...

'' (hyssop) *''

Jasminum officinale ''Jasminum officinale'', known as the common jasmine or simply jasmine, is a species of flowering plant in the olive family Oleaceae. It is native to the Caucasus and parts of Asia, also widely naturalized. It is also known as summer jasmine, ...

'' (jasmine) *'' Laricifomes officinalis'' (a wood fungus) *''

Levisticum officinale Lovage (), ''Levisticum officinale'', is a tall perennial plant, the sole species in the genus ''Levisticum'' in the family Apiaceae, subfamily Apioideae. It has been long cultivated in Europe, the leaves being used as a herb, the roots as a veg ...

'' (lovage) *''

Lithospermum officinale ''Lithospermum officinale'', or common gromwell or European stoneseed, is a flowering plant species in the family ''Boraginaceae'', native to Eurasia. It is the host plant for caterpillars of the monophagous moth '' Ethmia dodecea''. Descripti ...

'' (gromwell) *'' Magnolia officinalis'' *'' Melilotus officinalis'' (ribbed melilot) *'' Melissa officinalis'' (lemon balm) *''

Morinda officinalis ''Morinda officinalis'', also known as Indian mulberry, is a plant in the genus '' Morinda''. Medicinal uses The root of ''M. officinalis'' () is used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It was first described in Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing. In T ...

'' (Indian mulberry) *'' Nasturtium officinale'' (watercress) *'' Paeonia officinalis'' (common paeony) *'' Parietaria officinalis'' (upright pellitory) *'' Pulmonaria officinalis'' (lungwort) *''

Rheum officinale ''Rheum officinale'', the Chinese rhubarb, or Indian rhubarb is a rhubarb from the family Polygonaceae native to China. In Chinese it is called ''yào yòng dà huáng'' (), literally meaning ''medicinal rhubarb''. Description A perennial typic ...

'' (a rhubarb) *'' Rosa gallica'' 'Officinalis' (apothecary rose) *'' Rosmarinus officinalis'' (rosemary) *''

Salvia officinalis ''Salvia officinalis'', the common sage or just sage, is a perennial, evergreen subshrub, with woody stems, grayish leaves, and blue to purplish flowers. It is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae and native to the Mediterranean region, thoug ...

'' (sage) *''

Sanguisorba officinalis ''Sanguisorba officinalis'', commonly known as great burnet, is a plant in the family Rosaceae, subfamily Rosoideae. It is native throughout the cooler regions of the Northern Hemisphere in Europe, northern Asia, and northern North America. It ...

'' (great burnet) *'' Saponaria officinalis'' (soapwort) *''

Scindapsus officinalis ''Scindapsus officinalis'' is a species of flowering plants in the Araceae family. The species is native to the Indian subcontinent and Indo-China. The plant has local names such as pipul, gajpipul, and tiakathal. Description The species is a ...

'' (long pepper) *'' Sepia officinalis'' (cuttlefish) *''

Sisymbrium officinale ''Sisymbrium officinale'', the hedge mustard, (formerly ''Erysimum officinale'') is a plant in the family Brassicaceae. Description It is distinct from the mustard plants which belong to the genus ''Brassica''. ''S. officinale'' is similar to ot ...

'' (hedge mustard) *'' Spongia officinalis'' (bath sponge) *'' Stachys officinalis'' (betony) *''

Styrax officinalis ''Styrax officinalis'' is a species of shrub in the family Styracaceae. Description ''Styrax officinalis'' is a deciduous shrub reaching a height of . It has a simple, relaxed form, with very thin elliptical leaves long and wide, alternate and ...

'' (drug snowbell) *''

Symphytum officinale ''Symphytum officinale'' is a perennial flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae. Along with thirty four other species of ''Symphytum'', it is known as comfrey. To differentiate it from other members of the genus ''Symphytum'', this species ...

'' (comfrey) *'' Taraxacum officinale'' (dandelion) *''

Valeriana officinalis Valerian (''Valeriana officinalis'', Caprifoliaceae) is a perennial flowering plant native to Europe and Asia. In the summer when the mature plant may have a height of , it bears sweetly scented pink or white flowers that attract many fly specie ...

'' (valerian) *''

Verbena officinalis ''Verbena officinalis'', the common vervain or common verbena, is a perennial herb native to Europe. It grows up to 70 cm high, with an upright habitus. The lobed leaves are toothed, and the delicate spikes hold clusters of two-lipped mau ...

'' (vervain) *'' Veronica officinalis'' (speedwell) *'' Zingiber officinale'' (ginger)

References

{{reflist Taxonomy (biology) Latin biological phrases

Etymology

Species

See also

References