Pistia stratiotes
Water lettuce
Pistia stratiotes, commonly known as water lettuce, is a free-floating aquatic perennial characterized by its rosette of velvety, light green leaves. Beyond its striking appearance, this plant holds significant ethnobotanical value, utilized in traditional medicine to treat ailments ranging from skin inflammation to digestive issues and kidney disorders.
- Scientific name: Pistia stratiotes
- Family: Araceae
- Native range: Europe
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Alismatales and family Araceae, it is classified under the genus Pistia. This specific taxonomic lineage defines the biological identity of the medicinal species Pistia stratiotes.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Alismatales | WCVP |
| Family | Araceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Pistia | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, known scientifically as Pistia stratiotes, is recognized by various common names across different linguistic and regional contexts. In Chinese, it is referred to as 大薸 in Simplified Chinese (zh-hans), Traditional Chinese (zh-hant), and in the Hong Kong dialect (zh-hk). In Poland, the species is called pistia rozetkową (pl), while in Hebrew, it is known as פיסטיה (he).| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| zh-hans | 大薸 | Wikidata |
| zh-hant | 大薸 | Wikidata |
| zh-hk | 大薸 | Wikidata |
| pl | pistia rozetkowa | Wikidata |
| he | פיסטיה | Wikidata |
| it | Pistia | Wikidata |
| de | Wassersalat | Wikidata |
| id | apu-apu | Wikidata |
| ml | പിസ്ടിയ | Wikidata |
| ja | ボタンウキクサ | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution across several regions of the European continent. In Northern Europe, its presence can be documented within the borders of Great Britain. Moving into Middle Europe, the species is commonly found in both Germany and the Netherlands. Its range extends into Southeastern Europe, specifically reaching as far as Italy. Finally, the distribution continues into Eastern Europe, where it is located in Ukraine.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Europe | Great Britain | WCVP |
| Middle Europe | Germany | WCVP |
| Middle Europe | Netherlands | WCVP |
| Southeastern Europe | Italy | WCVP |
| Eastern Europe | Ukraine | WCVP |
| Northern Africa | Egypt | WCVP |
| Northern Africa | Morocco | WCVP |
| Macaronesia | Azores | WCVP |
| Macaronesia | Canary Is. | WCVP |
| Macaronesia | Madeira | WCVP |
Chemicals
Pistia stratiotes has 6 reported phytochemicals identified across 6 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include DPPH radical, Flavonoid, palmitic acid, stigmasta-4,22-dien-3-one, stigmasterol.
- Total chemicals
- 6
- Scientific sources
- 6
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| DPPH radical | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Flavonoid | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| palmitic acid | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| stigmasta-4,22-dien-3-one | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| stigmasterol | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| stigmasteryl stearate | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Pistia stratiotes has 6 reported activities identified across 6 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Analgesic, Anthelmintic, Antioxidant, CNS-Depressant, Cytotoxic.
- Total activities
- 6
- Scientific sources
- 6
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Analgesic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Anthelmintic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antioxidant | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| CNS-Depressant | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Cytotoxic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Free-Radical Scavenging | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |