Lithospermum
Gromwell
Lithospermum, commonly known as gromwell, is a genus of flowering plants in the Boraginaceae family. Renowned for their distinctive, often vibrant flowers, these perennials are valued in traditional medicine. Historically, certain species provided pigments for dyes and were utilized for their purported healing properties in various herbal remedies.
- Scientific name: Lithospermum
- Family: Boraginaceae
- Native range: Europe
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae within the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. It is further classified under the subclass Magnoliidae, the order Boraginales, and the family Boraginaceae. Finally, it is categorized under the genus Lithospermum.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Boraginales | WCVP |
| Family | Boraginaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Lithospermum | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, belonging to the genus Lithospermum, is known by various names across different languages and regions. In Chinese, it is referred to as 紫草属 (zh-hans), 紫草屬 (zh-hant), and 紫草屬 (zh-hk). In Poland, it is commonly known as Nawrot (pl), while in Hungary, it is called gyöngyköles (hu).| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| zh-hans | 紫草属 | Wikidata |
| zh-hant | 紫草屬 | Wikidata |
| zh-hk | 紫草屬 | Wikidata |
| pl | Nawrot | Wikidata |
| hu | gyöngyköles | Wikidata |
| de | Steinsamen | Wikidata |
| rw | Geremili | Wikidata |
| az | Səfərotu | Wikidata |
| lt | Kietagrūdis | Wikidata |
| nl | parelzaad | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a specific geographical distribution across several regions in Northern Europe. It can be found growing in the natural landscapes of Denmark. Furthermore, the species is documented within the territories of Finland and Iceland. Its presence also extends to the islands of Great Britain and Ireland. Together, these locations define the northern reaches of its known habitat.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Europe | Denmark | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Finland | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Great Britain | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Iceland | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Ireland | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Norway | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Sweden | WCVP |
| Middle Europe | Austria | WCVP |
| Middle Europe | Belgium | WCVP |
| Middle Europe | Czechia-Slovakia | WCVP |
Chemicals
Lithospermum has 1 reported phytochemicals identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Shikonin.
- Total chemicals
- 1
- Scientific sources
- 1
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Shikonin | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Lithospermum has 6 reported activities identified across 6 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Anticancer, Antidiabetic, Antimicrobial, Antithrombotic, Antiviral.
- Total activities
- 6
- Scientific sources
- 6
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Anticancer | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antidiabetic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antimicrobial | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antithrombotic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antiviral | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Neuroprotective | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |