Osmanthus fragrans
Osmanthus fragrans, commonly known as sweet osmanthus or sweet olive, is a fragrant evergreen shrub cherished in traditional medicine. Renowned for its intoxicatingly sweet aroma, it is used to treat respiratory ailments, soothe emotions, and support digestive health. This versatile plant offers both aesthetic beauty and therapeutic benefits.
- Scientific name: Osmanthus fragrans
- Family: Oleaceae
- Native range: Asia-Temperate
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, placing it within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. It is further classified under the order Lamiales and the family Oleaceae. Ultimately, its specific taxonomic identity is defined by its membership in the genus Osmanthus.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Lamiales | WCVP |
| Family | Oleaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Osmanthus | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, Osmanthus fragrans, is known by various common names across different regions and languages. In Hindi, it is referred to as सिलंग, while in Southern Min (nan), it is called Kùi-hoe. In Chinese, the plant is widely recognized as 桂花 in Simplified Chinese (zh-hans), Traditional Chinese (zh-hant), and in the Hong Kong Cantonese context (zh-hk).| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| hi | सिलंग | Wikidata |
| nan | Kùi-hoe | Wikidata |
| zh-hans | 桂花 | Wikidata |
| zh-hant | 桂花 | Wikidata |
| zh-hk | 桂花 | Wikidata |
| de | Süße Duftblüte | Wikidata |
| de-ch | Süsse Duftblüte | Wikidata |
| ja | モクセイ | Wikidata |
| vi | quế hoa | Wikidata |
| fr | Olivier odorant | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant is widely distributed throughout various regions of China, including the South-Central and North-Central areas. It can also be found growing in the tropical environment of Hainan. Furthermore, the species is commonly located across China Southeast. Beyond mainland China, its presence extends to Eastern Asia, specifically in Japan.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| China | China South-Central | WCVP |
| China | Hainan | WCVP |
| China | China North-Central | WCVP |
| China | China Southeast | WCVP |
| Eastern Asia | Japan | WCVP |
| Eastern Asia | Korea | WCVP |
| Eastern Asia | Taiwan | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Assam | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | East Himalaya | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Nepal | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, Osmanthus fragrans, is highly valued in traditional medicine and perfumery primarily for its aromatic components. The most significant part utilized is the fragrant flower, which produces a potent, sweet scent used to create medicinal teas, essential oils, and calming infusions. While the flowers are the primary focus for their therapeutic properties, the seeds are also a distinct part of the plant's reproductive structure, though they are less commonly the central focus of medicinal extraction compared to the highly aromatic blooms.- Total parts
- 2
- Scientific sources
- 2
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| seeds | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Flower | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Osmanthus fragrans has 27 reported phytochemicals identified across 27 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include 5,7-dihydroxychromone, 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furancarboxaldehyde, IAA, JA, Phillygenin.
- Total chemicals
- 27
- Scientific sources
- 27
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| 5,7-dihydroxychromone | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furancarboxaldehyde | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| IAA | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| JA | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Phillygenin | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Specnuezhenide | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| acetyloleanolic acid | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| arjunolic acid | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| augustic acid | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| auxin | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Osmanthus fragrans has 9 reported activities identified across 14 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Anticancer, Hepatoprotective, Antibacterial, Antiproliferative.
- Total activities
- 9
- Scientific sources
- 14
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antioxidant | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Anticancer | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Hepatoprotective | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antibacterial | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antiproliferative | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antitumor | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Cytotoxic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Mast-Cell-Stabilizer | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Neuroprotective | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Osmanthus fragrans has 11 reported medicinal uses identified across 11 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include asthma, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, cough, diarrhea.
- Total uses
- 11
- Scientific sources
- 11
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| asthma | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cancer | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cardiovascular diseases | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cough | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| diarrhea | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| halitosis | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| hepatitis | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| prostate cancer | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| rheumatism | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| skin diseases | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |