Polygonatum

Polygonatum Template:IPAc-en,<ref>Sunset Western Garden Book. 1995. 606–607.</ref> also known as King Solomon's-seal or Solomon's seal, is a genus of flowering plants. In the APG III classification system, it is placed in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Nolinoideae (formerly the family Ruscaceae).<ref>Template:Citation</ref> It has also been classified in the former family Convallariaceae and, like many lilioid monocots, was formerly classified in the lily family, Liliaceae. The genus is distributed throughout the temperate Northern Hemisphere. Most of the approximately 63 species occur in Asia, with 20 endemic to China.<ref name=wuj>Wujisguleng, W., et al. (2012). Ethnobotanical review of food uses of Polygonatum (Convallariaceae) in China. Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae 81(4) 239-44.</ref>

Etymology

Polygonatum comes from the ancient Greek for "many knees", referring to the multiple jointed rhizome.<ref name=AZPLA>Template:Cite book</ref> One explanation for the derivation of the common name "Solomon's seal" is that the roots bear depressions which resemble royal seals. Another is that the cut roots resemble Hebrew characters.<ref>Solomon's Seal. Botanical.com</ref>

Description

The fruits are red or black berries. The berries are poisonous to humans.

Taxonomy

File:Polygonatum humile.JPG

Polygonatum humile

File:20140810Polygonatum odoratum1.jpg

Fruit of Polygonatum odoratum

File:Polygonatum verticillatum Giant One02.jpg

Polygonatum verticillatum

Species

The following species are recognised in the genus Polygonatum:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Div col

• Polygonatum acuminatifolium Template:Small
• Polygonatum adnatum Template:Small
• Polygonatum amabile Template:Small
• Polygonatum angelicum Template:Small
• Polygonatum annamense Template:Small
• Polygonatum arisanense Template:Small
• Polygonatum autumnale Template:Small
• Polygonatum × azegamii Template:Small
• Polygonatum biflorum Template:Small (including Polygonatum commutatum) – Solomon's seal, smooth or great Solomon's seal – Eastern and central North America
• Polygonatum brevistylum Template:Small
• Polygonatum × buschianum Template:Small
• Polygonatum campanulatum Template:Small
• Polygonatum cathcartii Template:Small
• Polygonatum cirrhifolium Template:Small – tendril-leaf Solomon's seal – Southern China
• Polygonatum costatum Template:Small
• Polygonatum cryptanthum Template:Small
• Polygonatum curvistylum Template:Small
• Polygonatum cyrtonema Template:Small – Solomon's seal – Eastern Asia
• Polygonatum daminense Template:Small
• Polygonatum × desoulavyi Template:Small
• Polygonatum × domonense Template:Small
• Polygonatum falcatum Template:Small – Eastern Asia
• Polygonatum filipes Template:Small
• Polygonatum franchetii Template:Small
• Polygonatum geminiflorum Template:Small
• Polygonatum glaberrimum Template:Small
• Polygonatum gongshanense Template:Small
• Polygonatum govanianum Template:Small
• Polygonatum graminifolium Template:Small
• Polygonatum grandicaule Template:Small
• Polygonatum griffithii Template:Small
• Polygonatum hirtellum Template:Small
• Polygonatum hookeri Template:Small
• Polygonatum humile Template:Small – dwarf Solomon's seal – Eastern Asia
• Polygonatum × hybridum Template:Small – garden Solomon's seal – Europe
• Polygonatum inflatum Template:Small – Eastern Asia
• Polygonatum infundiflorum Template:Small
• Polygonatum involucratum Template:Small – Asia
• Polygonatum jinzhaiense Template:Small
• Polygonatum kingianum Template:Small – Solomon's seal – Asia
• Polygonatum × krylovii Template:Small
• Polygonatum lasianthum Template:Small – Korean Solomon's seal<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> – Eastern Asia
• Polygonatum latifolium Template:Small
• Polygonatum leiboense Template:Small
• Polygonatum longistylum Template:Small
• Polygonatum luteoverrucosum Template:Small
• Polygonatum macranthum Template:Small
• Polygonatum macropodum Template:Small – big footed Solomon's seal – Asia
• Polygonatum megaphyllum Template:Small
• Polygonatum mengtzense Template:Small
• Polygonatum multiflorum Template:Small – (common) Solomon's seal – Europe
• Polygonatum nervulosum Template:Small
• Polygonatum nodosum Template:Small
• Polygonatum odoratum Template:Small – scented (or angular) Solomon's seal – Europe
• Polygonatum omeiense Template:Small
• Polygonatum oppositifolium Template:Small
• Polygonatum orientale Template:Small – oriental Solomon's seal – Western Asia, Eastern Europe
• Polygonatum prattii Template:Small
• Polygonatum × pseudopolyanthemum Template:Small
• Polygonatum pubescens Template:Small – downy/hairy Solomon's seal – Eastern North America
• Polygonatum punctatum Template:Small
• Polygonatum qinghaiense Template:Small
• Polygonatum robustum Template:Small
• Polygonatum roseum Template:Small
• Polygonatum sewerzowii Template:Small
• Polygonatum sibiricum Template:Small – Huang Jing, Siberian Solomon's seal – Eastern Asia
• Polygonatum singalilense Template:Small
• Polygonatum sparsifolium Template:Small
• Polygonatum stenophyllum Template:Small
• Polygonatum stewartianum Template:Small
• Polygonatum × tamaense Template:Small
• Polygonatum tessellatum Template:Small
• Polygonatum tsinlingense Template:Small
• Polygonatum undulatifolium Template:Small
• Polygonatum urceolatum Template:Small
• Polygonatum verticillatum Template:Small – whorled Solomon's seal – Europe
• Polygonatum wardii Template:Small
• Polygonatum yunnanense Template:Small
• Polygonatum zanlanscianense Template:Small
• Polygonatum zhejiangensis Template:Small

Uses

Gardening

Several species are valued as ornamental plants, including:<ref name=RHSAZ>Template:Cite book</ref> Template:Div col

• Polygonatum biflorum
• Polygonatum hirtum
• Polygonatum hookeri
• Polygonatum humile
• Polygonatum × hybridum
• Polygonatum multiflorum
• Polygonatum odoratum
• Polygonatum stewartianum
• Polygonatum verticillatum

Food

The berries are poisonous to humans.

Many species have long been used as food in China, such as Polygonatum sibiricum. Leaves, stems, and rhizomes are used raw or cooked and served as a side dish with meat and rice. The rhizomes of two local species are eaten with chicken's or pig's feet during festivals. The rhizomes are used to make tea or soaked in wine or liquor to flavor the beverages. They are also fried with sugar and honey to make sweet snacks. The starchy rhizomes can be dried, ground, and added to flour to supplement food staples. The rhizome of P. sibiricum is pulped, boiled, strained, and thickened with barley flour to make a sweet liquid seasoning agent called tangxi. At times, people in China have relied on P. megaphyllum as a famine food.<ref name=wuj/>

The shoots of some Polygonatum can be boiled and used like asparagus. P. cirrifolium and P. verticillatum are used as leafy vegetables in India. The American species P. biflorum has a starchy root that was eaten like the potato and used as flour for bread.<ref name=wuj/>

P. sibiricum is used for a tea called dungulle in Korea.<ref name=wuj/>

Traditional medicine

The berries may be poisonous to humans.

Template:Medical citations needed The traditional use of Polygonatum in the treatment of diabetes was first observed in 1930 by Hedwig Langecker. After experiments, she concluded that it was effective in fighting nutritional hyperglycemia, though not that caused by adrenaline release, probably due to its glucokinin content.<ref>Source:Quer, Pío Font "Plantas Medicinales - El Dioscórides renovado". 1961/2005 Barcelona: Ediciones Península, Template:ISBN</ref>Template:Full citation needed

P. verticillatum is used in Ayurveda as an aphrodisiac.<ref name=kasmi>Kasmi, I., et al. (2012). Aphrodisiac properties of Polygonatum verticillatum leaf extract. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Disease S841-45.</ref> It is also used to treat pain, fever, inflammation, allergy, and weakness.<ref name=khan>Khan, H., et al. (2011). Antinociceptive activity of aerial parts of Polygonatum verticillatum: Attenuation of both peripheral and central pain mediators. Phytotherapy Research 25(7) 1024-30.</ref>

An herbal remedy called rhizoma polygonati is a mix of Polygonatum species used in traditional Chinese medicine. It is supposed to strengthen various organs and enhance the qi.<ref name=wuj/> Polygonatum is believed to be restorative to mental vitality, especially when the mind has been overworked, overstressed, or is in a state of exhaustion.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

P. cyrtonema is a compound that is often used in Traditional Chinese Theory as a treatment for depression, which is thought to originate from problems in the liver and the kidney. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which is considered by TCT to be a form of depression is also sometimes treated with P. cyrtonema. There is some evidence that P. cyrtonema can inhibit Post Traumatic Stress by regulating oxidative stress and inflammation associated with the NLRP3 gene.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

See also

• Maianthemum