Dictamnus
| Dictamnus | |
|---|---|
.JPG) |
|
| Dictamnus albus in flower | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| (unranked): | |
| (unranked): | |
| (unranked): | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus: |
Dictamnus
|
| Species: |
D. albus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Dictamnus albus |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
|
Lua error in Module:Taxonbar/candidate at line 22: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
Dictamnus is a genus of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae, with a single species, Dictamnus albus, which has several geographical variants.[2] It is also known as burning bush,[3] dittany,[3] gas plant,[3] and fraxinella.[3] It is an herbaceous perennial, native to warm, open woodland habitats in southern Europe, north Africa and much of Asia.
Contents
Description
This plant grows about 40 cm (16 in) to 100 cm (39 in) high. Its flowers form a loose pyramidal spike and vary in colour from pale purple to white. The flowers are five-petalled with long projecting stamens. The leaves resemble those of an ash tree.[2]
Volatile oils
In the summer months, the whole plant is covered with a kind of flammable substance, which is gluey to the touch, and has a very fragrant, lemony aroma; but if it takes fire, it goes off with a flash all over the plant. The name "burning bush" derives from the volatile oils produced by the plant, which can catch fire readily in hot weather, leading to comparisons with the burning bush of the Bible, including the suggestion that this is the plant involved there. The daughter of Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus is said to have ignited the air once, at the end of a particularly hot, windless summer day, above Dictamnus plants, using a simple matchstick. The volatile oils have a reputed component of isoprene.
Cultivation
Numerous varieties and cultivars have been selected for garden use. The variety D. albus var. purpureus (purple flowered dittany) has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[4]
Toxicity
The plant is inedible: the leaves have a bitter and unpalatable taste. Despite the lemon-like smell, the plant is acrid when eaten. All parts of the plant may cause mild stomach upset if eaten, and contact with the foliage may cause photodermatitis.[2]
Chemistry
More than 100 chemical constituents have been isolated from the genus Dictamnus, including alkaloids, limonoid triterpenoids, flavonoids, sesquiterpenoids, coumarins, and phenylpropane.[5]
Gallery
-
Illustration of Dictamnus albus, from Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz 1885
-
Plant of Dictamnus albus
-
Inflorescence of Dictamnus albus
-
Close-up on a flowers of Dictamnus albus
-
Fruit of Dictamnus albus
-
Leaves of Dictamnus albus
References
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />
Cite error: Invalid <references> tag; parameter "group" is allowed only.
<references />, or <references group="..." />External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.. |
- Growing a Burning Bush, Dictamnus albus, in your Garden
- Dictamnus - Gas Plant, Burning Bush, Perennials Guide to Planting Flowers
- ↑ Synonym in Anthos.es
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
