# Withania > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Withania > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Withania.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Withania > Source revision: 1334317233 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Genus of flowering plants}} {{Automatic taxobox |image = Withania somnifera, blom, Manie van der Schijff BT.jpg |image_caption = ''[Withania somnifera](/source/Withania_somnifera)'' |display_parents = 2 |taxon = Withania |authority = [Pauquy](/source/Charles_Louis_Constant_Pauquy) (1825), nom. cons. |subdivision_ranks = Species |subdivision = 19; see text |synonyms = *''Archiphysalis'' Kuang (1966) *''Hypnoticum'' {{small|Rodati ex Meisn. (1839)}} *''Opsago'' Raf. (1838) *''Physaliastrum'' Makino (1914) *''Physaloides'' Moench (1794) *''Puneeria'' Stocks (1849) *''Scleromphalos'' {{small|Griff. (1854), nom. nud.}} |synonyms_ref = [https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:332066-2 ''Withania'' Pauquy]. ''[Plants of the World Online](/source/Plants_of_the_World_Online)''. Retrieved 24 April 2024. }} '''''Withania''''' is a genus of [flowering plant](/source/flowering_plant)s in the nightshade family, [Solanaceae](/source/Solanaceae), with 19 to 23 species that are native to parts of [North Africa](/source/North_Africa), western Asia, south Asia, southern Europe, the [Mediterranean](/source/Mediterranean), and the [Canary Islands](/source/Canary_Islands).{{Cite journal | last1 = Mirjalili | first1 = M. H. | last2 = Moyano | first2 = E. | last3 = Bonfill | first3 = M. | last4 = Cusido | first4 = R. M. | last5 = Palazón | first5 = J. | title = Steroidal Lactones from Withania somnifera, an Ancient Plant for Novel Medicine | doi = 10.3390/molecules14072373 | journal = Molecules | volume = 14 | issue = 7 | pages = 2373–2393 | year = 2009 | pmid = 19633611 | pmc = 6255378 | citeseerx = 10.1.1.368.967 | doi-access = free }}{{GRIN | ''Withania somnifera'' | 102407 | accessdate = 2015-02-03}} ''Withania'' was initially included within ''[Physalis](/source/Physalis)'' by Linnaeus in 1753 but has since become its own genus.{{Cite journal |last=Rydberg |first=Per Axel |date=1896 |title=The North American Species of Physalis and related Genera |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/43391911 |journal=Memoirs of the Torrey Botanical Club |volume=4 |issue=5 |pages=297–374 |jstor=43391911 |issn=0097-3807}} This grouping was due to the shared feature of an inflated [calyx](/source/Calyx_(botany)) that surrounds and protects the fruit. Two of the species, ''W. somnifera'' (ashwagandha) and ''W. coagulans'' (ashutosh booti), are economically significant, and are cultivated in several regions for their medicinal uses. ==Etymology== ''Withania'' is thought to have been named in honour of [Henry Witham](/source/Henry_Witham), a British geologist and writer on fossil botany beginning in 1830.{{ cite web | url = http://www.flora.sa.gov.au/efsa/lucid/Solanaceae/Solanaceae%20species/key/Australian%20Solanaceae%20species/Media/Html/Withania.htm | title = ''Withania'' | work = Electronic Flora of South Australia | publisher = Government of South Australia, Department of Environment and Natural Resources | access-date = 2011-03-23 }} ==Species== 19 species are accepted. * ''[Withania adpressa](/source/Withania_adpressa)'' Coss. ex Batt. * ''[Withania adunensis](/source/Withania_adunensis)'' [Vierh.](/source/Friedrich_Karl_Max_Vierhapper) * ''[Withania aristata](/source/Withania_aristata)'' {{small|(Aiton) Pauquy}} * ''[Withania chamaesarachoides](/source/Withania_chamaesarachoides)'' {{small|(Makino) Hunz.}} * ''[Withania coagulans](/source/Withania_coagulans)'' (Stocks) Dunal — ashutosh booti, Indian rennet, panirband, vegetable rennet * ''[Withania echinata](/source/Withania_echinata)'' {{small|(Yatabe) Hunz.}} * ''[Withania frutescens](/source/Withania_frutescens)'' (L.) Pauquy * ''[Withania grisea](/source/Withania_grisea)'' {{small|(Hepper & Boulos) Thulin}} * ''[Withania heterophylla](/source/Withania_heterophylla)'' {{small|(Hemsl.) Hunz.}} * ''[Withania japonica](/source/Withania_japonica)'' (Franch. & Sav.) Hunz. * ''[Withania kweichouensis](/source/Withania_kweichouensis)'' {{small|(Kuang & A.M.Lu) Hunz.}} * ''[Withania qaraitica](/source/Withania_qaraitica)'' A.G.Mill. & Biagi * ''[Withania reichenbachii](/source/Withania_reichenbachii)'' Bitter * ''[Withania riebeckii](/source/Withania_riebeckii)'' [Schweinf.](/source/Georg_August_Schweinfurth) * ''[Withania sinensis](/source/Withania_sinensis)'' {{small|(Hemsl.) Hunz.}} * ''[Withania sinica](/source/Withania_sinica)'' {{small|(Kuang & A.M.Lu) Hunz.}} * ''[Withania somnifera](/source/Withania_somnifera)'' ([L.](/source/Carl_Linnaeus)) [Dunal](/source/Michel_F%C3%A9lix_Dunal) (synonym ''[Withania chevalieri](/source/Withania_chevalieri)'' A.E.Gonç.) — ashwaganda, Indian ginseng, winter cherry{{cite web | url = http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=5&taxon_id=242426281 | title = ''Withania coagulans'' (Stocks) Dunal | work = Flora of Pakistan | publisher = eFlora.org }}{{GRIN | ''Withania coagulans'' | 102409 | accessdate = 19 January 2018}} * ''[Withania sphaerocarpa](/source/Withania_sphaerocarpa)'' Hepper & Boulos * ''[Withania yunnanensis](/source/Withania_yunnanensis)'' {{small|(Kuang & A.M.Lu) Hunz.}} ==References== {{Commons category}} {{Wikispecies}} {{Reflist}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q310998}} {{Authority control}} Category:Withania Category:Solanaceae genera Category:Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Solanales-stub}} --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Withania](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Withania) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Withania?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.