Lithospermum

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Asterids
Cladus: Lamiids
Ordo: Boraginales

Familia: Boraginaceae
Subfamilia: Boraginoideae
Tribus: Lithospermeae
Genus: Lithospermum
Species: L. affine – L. afromontanum – L. album – L. azuayense – L. barbigerum – L. berlandieri – L. bolivariense – L. calcicola – L. californicum – L. calycosum – L. canescens – L. caroliniense – L. chiapense – L. cinerascens – L. cinereum – L. cobrense – L. confine – L. cuneifolium – L. cuzcoense – L. decipiens – L. discolor – L. distichum – L. diversifolium – L. dodrantale – L. elenae – L. erythrorhizon – L. exsertum – L. flavum – L. flexuosum – L. gayanum – L. guatemalense – L. helleri – L. hirsutum – L. incisum – L. indecorum – L. ireneae – L. jimulcense – L. johnstonii – L. latifolium – L. leonotis – L. leymebambense – L. macbridei – L. macromeria – L. matamorense – L. mediale – L. mirabile – L. molle – L. muelleri – L. multiflorum – L. nelsonii – L. notatum – L. oaxacanum – L. oblongifolium – L. obovatum – L. occidentale – L. officinale – L. papillosum – L. parviflorum – L. peruvianum – L. pinetorum – L. pringlei – L. revolutum – L. rodriguezii – L. rosei – L. ruderale – L. rzedowskii – L. scabrum – L. strictum – L. subsetosum – L. trinervium – L. tuberosum – L. tubuliflorum – L. turneri – L. unicum – L. virginianum – L. viride

Source(s) of checklist:
Name

Lithospermum Tourn. ex L., Sp. Pl. 1: 132. 1753. – Gen. Pl., ed. 5: 64. 1754.

Type species: Lithospermum officinale L., Sp. Pl. 1: 132. (1753)

Synonyms

Batschia J.F.Gmel.
Cyphorima Raf.
Lasiarrhenum I.M.Johnst.
Macromeria D.Don
Nomosa I.M.Johnst.
Onosmodium Michx.
Osmodium Raf.
Pentalophus DC.
Perittostema I.M.Johnst.
Psilolaemus I.M.Johnst.
Purshia Spreng.

References

Tournefort, Sp. Pl. 1: 132. 1753. – Gen. Pl., ed. 5: 64. 1754.
Linnaeus, C. 1753. Species plantarum, exhibentes plantas rite cognitas, ad genera relatas, cum differentiis specificis, nominibus trivialibus, synonymis selectis, locis natalibus, secundum systema sexuale digestas. Tomus I. Pp. [I–XII], 1–560. Impensis Laurentii Salvii, Holmiae [Stockholm]. BHL Reference page. : 132.

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2020. Lithospermum in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2020 Oct 07. Reference page.
Hassler, M. 2019. Lithospermum. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2019. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2019 July 6. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2017. Lithospermum. Published online. Accessed: 02 January 2017.
Farr, E.R. & Zijlstra, G. (eds.) 1996 onwards. Lithospermum in Index Nominum Genericorum (Plantarum). Accessed: 2017 January 02.
Farr, E.R. & Zijlstra, G. (eds.) 1996 onwards. Batschia in Index Nominum Genericorum (Plantarum). Accessed: 2017 January 02.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Lithospermum in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 2017-01-02.
Tropicos.org 2017. Lithospermum. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 02 January 2017.

Vernacular names
azərbaycanca: Səfərotu
беларуская: Верабейнік
čeština: kamejka
dansk: Stenfrø
Deutsch: Steinsamen
English: Gromwells
suomi: Rusojuuret
français: Grémil
magyar: Gyöngyköles
հայերեն: Կաքավկրկուտ
қазақша: Торғайшөп
lietuvių: Kietagrūdis
Nederlands: Parelzaad
polski: Nawrot
русский: Воробейник
Ikinyarwanda: Geremili
slovenčina: kamienkovec
svenska: Stenfrön
中文: 紫草属

Lithospermum is a genus of plants belonging to the family Boraginaceae. The genus is distributed nearly worldwide, but most are native to the Americas and the center of diversity is in the southwestern United States and Mexico.[1] Species are known generally as gromwells or stoneseeds.

Taxonomy

There are about 50[2] to 60[3] species in the genus.

Some species, such as Lithospermum arvense, are sometimes classified in the genus Buglossoides, but that genus is subsumed into Lithospermum by works such as the Flora of China.[2] In addition, a 2009 molecular study showed that the genus Onosmodium should be included within Lithospermum.[1]

Species include:[2][4][5]

Lithospermum arvense (syn. Buglossoides arvensis) - field gromwell, corn gromwell
Lithospermum azuayensis[6]
Lithospermum bejariense - western marbleseed
Lithospermum bolivariensis[6]
Lithospermum californicum - California stoneseed
Lithospermum calycosum - Chinati stoneseed
Lithospermum canescens - hoary puccoon, Indian-paint
Lithospermum caroliniense - Carolina gromwell, hairy puccoon
Lithospermum cobrense - smooththroat stoneseed
Lithospermum confine - Arizona stoneseed
Lithospermum cuzcoensis[6]
Lithospermum erythrorhizon - purple gromwell, red-root gromwell, 紫草 zicao (Pinyin: zǐcǎo), 紫草 murasaki･sō (Japanese)
Lithospermum hancockianum
Lithospermum incisum - narrowleaf stoneseed, fringed gromwell
Lithospermum latifolium - American stoneseed
Lithospermum leymebambensis[6]
Lithospermum macbridei
Lithospermum matamorense - rough stoneseed
Lithospermum mirabile - San Antonio stoneseed
Lithospermum molle - softhair marbleseed
Lithospermum multiflorum - manyflowered stoneseed
Lithospermum obtusifolium - roundleaf stoneseed
Lithospermum officinale - common gromwell, European stoneseed
Lithospermum parksii - Parks' stoneseed
Lithospermum parviflorum - eastern prairie marbleseed
Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum (syn. Buglossoides purpurocaerulea) - purple gromwell
Lithospermum rodriguezii[6]
Lithospermum ruderale - western stoneseed, Columbia puccoon, wayside gromwell, whiteweed
Lithospermum tuberosum - southern stoneseed, tuberous gromwell
Lithospermum viride - green stoneseed

Ecology

Lithospermum leaves are eaten by the caterpillars of certain Lepidoptera, such as the moth Ethmia pusiella which has been recorded on L. officinale.
Uses

The dried root of Lithospermum erythrorhizon is a Chinese herbal medicine with various antiviral and biological activities, including inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1).[7][8] Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum is native to Japan, where it has been traditionally used to make a purple dye. In southwestern North America, a species of this genus was used as a contraceptive by the Shoshone Native American tribe.[9]
References

Cohen, James I.; Davis, Jerrold I. (2009). "Nomenclatural changes in Lithospermum (Boraginaceae) and related taxa following a reassessment of phylogenetic relationships". Brittonia. 61 (2): 101–111. doi:10.1007/s12228-009-9082-z.
"Lithospermum Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 132. 1753". Flora of China.
Cohen, J. I., (2012). Comparative floral development in Lithospermum (Boraginaceae) and implications for the evolution and development of heterostyly. American Journal of Botany 99(5), 797-805.
GRIN Species Records of Lithospermum. Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).
Lithospermum. USDA PLANTS: North American species.
Weigend, M., et al. (2010). Five new species of Lithospermum L.(Boraginaceae tribe Lithospermeae) in Andean South America: another radiation in the Amotape-Huancabamba zone. Taxon 59(4), 1161-79.
Chen, X., et al. (2003). Shikonin, a component of Chinese herbal medicine, inhibits chemokine receptor function and suppresses human immunodeficiency virus type 1. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 47(9), 2810-16.
Gao, H., et al. (2011). Anti-adenovirus activities of shikonin, a component of Chinese herbal medicine in vitro. Biol Pharm Bull. 34(2) 197-202.
"Health - Contraceptive, Indian Style". Chatelaine. June 1964.