Bupleurum: An Exploration of an Underappreciated Genus
My name is Ferb Vu, and I’m fascinated by the plant world. Today, I want to share my appreciation for a genus that often gets overlooked: Bupleurum. This diverse group of plants, belonging to the Apiaceae family, boasts a fascinating array of characteristics and potential uses. Let’s dive in and explore what makes Bupleurum so intriguing.
What is Bupleurum?
Bupleurum, sometimes known as hare’s ear or thoroughwax, is a large genus encompassing roughly 200 species. These plants are incredibly varied in their appearance, ranging from small, unassuming herbs to substantial woody shrubs. Some species stand a mere few centimeters tall, while others can reach a towering three meters in height. This diversity is a testament to the genus’s adaptability and resilience.
Imagine coming across a Bupleurum in the wild. You might notice its simple, often oval-shaped leaves, which are typically arranged alternately along the stem. The flowers, usually small and yellow, are clustered together in umbels, a characteristic feature of the Apiaceae family. These umbels are often surrounded by bracts, leaf-like structures that add another layer of visual interest.
A Diverse Genus
Bupleurum’s diversity extends beyond its physical appearance. These plants have made their home in a variety of habitats across the temperate and subtropical regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with a few species even venturing into South Africa. This wide distribution speaks to the genus’s ability to thrive in different environments.
- Bupleurum acutifolium Boiss.
- Bupleurum aeneum Boiss. & A.Huet
- Bupleurum aequiradiatum (H.Wolff) Snogerup & B.Snogerup
- Bupleurum affine Sadler
- Bupleurum aira Snogerup
- Bupleurum aitchisonii (Boiss.) H.Wolff
- Bupleurum alatum R.H.Shan & M.L.Sheh
- Bupleurum album Maire
- Bupleurum aleppicum Boiss.
- Bupleurum alpigenum Jord. & Fourr.
- Bupleurum americanum J.M.Coult. & Rose
- Bupleurum anatolicum Hub.-Mor. & Reese
- Bupleurum andhricum M.P.Nayar & R.N.Banerjee
- Bupleurum angulosum L.
- Bupleurum angustissimum (Franch.) Kitag.
- Bupleurum antonii Maire
- Bupleurum apiculatum Friv.
- Bupleurum asperuloides Heldr.
- Bupleurum atargense Gorovoj
- Bupleurum atlanticum Murb.
- Bupleurum aureum Fisch. ex Hoffm.
- Bupleurum badachschanicum Lincz.
- Bupleurum baimaense X.G.Ma & X.J.He
- Bupleurum balansae Boiss. & Reut.
- Bupleurum baldense Turra
- Bupleurum barceloi Coss. ex Willk.
- Bupleurum benoistii Litard. & Maire
- Bupleurum bicaule Helm
- Bupleurum boissieri Post
- Bupleurum boissieuanum H.Wolff
- Bupleurum bourgaei Boiss. & Reut.
- Bupleurum brachiatum K.Koch ex Boiss.
- Bupleurum brevicaule Schltdl.
- Bupleurum canaliculatum Diels
- Bupleurum candollei Wall. ex DC.
- Bupleurum canescens Schousb.
- Bupleurum capillare Boiss. & Heldr.
- Bupleurum cappadocicum Boiss.
- Bupleurum chaishoui R.H.Shan & M.L.Sheh
- Bupleurum chevalieri Cherm.
- Bupleurum chinense DC.
- Bupleurum citrinum Hochst.
- Bupleurum clarkeanum (H.Wolff) Nasir
- Bupleurum commelynoideum H.Boissieu
- Bupleurum commutatum Boiss. & Balansa
- Bupleurum condensatum R.H.Shan & Y.Li
- Bupleurum constancei Nazir
- Bupleurum contractum Korovin
- Bupleurum croceum Fenzl
- Bupleurum dalhousieanum (C.B.Clarke) Koso-Pol.
- Bupleurum davisii Snogerup
- Bupleurum densiflorum Rupr.
- Bupleurum dianthifolium Guss.
- Bupleurum dichotomum Boiss.
- Bupleurum dielsianum H.Wolff
- Bupleurum distichophyllum Wight & Arn.
- Bupleurum dracaenoides Huan C.Wang, Z.R.He & H.Sun
- Bupleurum dumosum Coss. & Balansa
- Bupleurum eginense (H.Wolff) Snogerup
- Bupleurum elatum Guss.
- Bupleurum erubescens Boiss.
- Bupleurum euboeum Beauverd & Topali
- Bupleurum euphorbioides Nakai
- Bupleurum exaltatum M.Bieb.
- Bupleurum falcatum L.
- Bupleurum faurelii Maire
- Bupleurum ferganense Lincz.
- Bupleurum flavicans Boiss. & Heldr.
- Bupleurum flavum Forssk.
- Bupleurum flexile Bornm. & Gauba
- Bupleurum foliosum Salzm. ex DC.
- Bupleurum freitagii Rech.f.
- Bupleurum fruticescens L.
- Bupleurum fruticosum L.
- Bupleurum gansuense S.L.Pan & P.S.Hsu
- Bupleurum gaudianum Snogerup
- Bupleurum gerardi All.
- Bupleurum ghahremanii Mozaff.
- Bupleurum gibraltaricum Lam.
- Bupleurum gilanicum Mozaff.
- Bupleurum gilesii H.Wolff
- Bupleurum glumaceum Sm.
- Bupleurum gracile d’Urv.
- Bupleurum gracilipes Diels
- Bupleurum gracillimum Klotzsch
- Bupleurum greuteri Snogerup
- Bupleurum gulczense O.Fedtsch. & B.Fedtsch.
- Bupleurum gussonei (Arcang.) Snogerup & B.Snogerup
- Bupleurum hakgalense Klack.
- Bupleurum hamiltonii N.P.Balakr.
- Bupleurum handiense (Bolle) G.Kunkel
- Bupleurum haussknechtii Boiss.
- Bupleurum heldreichii Boiss. & Balansa
- Bupleurum hoffmeisteri Klotzsch
- Bupleurum imaicola J.Kern.
- Bupleurum iranicum Bidarlord & Lyskov
- Bupleurum isphairamicum Pimenov
- Bupleurum jucundum Kurz
- Bupleurum kabulicum Rech.f.
- Bupleurum kakiskalae Greuter
- Bupleurum kaoi Liu, C.Y.Chao & Chuang
- Bupleurum karglii Vis.
- Bupleurum khasianum (C.B.Clarke) P.K.Mukh.
- Bupleurum koechelii Fenzl
- Bupleurum kohistanicum Nasir
- Bupleurum komarovianum Lincz.
- Bupleurum kosopolianskyi Grossh.
- Bupleurum krylovianum Schischk.
- Bupleurum kunmingense Yin Li & S.L.Pan
- Bupleurum kurdicum Boiss.
- Bupleurum kurzii P.K.Mukh.
- Bupleurum kweichowense R.H.Shan
- Bupleurum lanceolatum Wall. ex DC.
- Bupleurum lancifolium Hornem.
- Bupleurum lateriflorum Coss.
- Bupleurum latissimum Nakai
- Bupleurum leucocladum Boiss.
- Bupleurum libanoticum Boiss. & C.I.Blanche
- Bupleurum linczevskii Pimenov & Sdobnina
- Bupleurum lipskyanum (Koso-Pol.) Lincz.
- Bupleurum longeradiatum Turcz.
- Bupleurum longicaule Wall. ex DC.
- Bupleurum longifolium L.
- Bupleurum lophocarpum Boiss. & Balansa
- Bupleurum luxiense Yin Li & S.L.Pan
- Bupleurum lycaonicum Snogerup
- Bupleurum maddenii C.B.Clarke
- Bupleurum malconense R.H.Shan & Y.Li
- Bupleurum marginatum Wall. ex DC.
- Bupleurum marschallianum C.A.Mey.
- Bupleurum martjanovii Krylov
- Bupleurum mayeri Micevski
- Bupleurum mesatlanticum Litard. & Maire
- Bupleurum microcephalum Diels
- Bupleurum miyamorii Kitag.
- Bupleurum mongolicum V.M.Vinogr.
- Bupleurum montanum Coss. & Durieu
- Bupleurum multinerve DC.
- Bupleurum mundii Cham. & Schltdl.
- Bupleurum muschleri H.Wolff
- Bupleurum nanum Poir.
- Bupleurum nematocladum Rech.f.
- Bupleurum nigrescens Nasir
- Bupleurum nipponicum Koso-Pol.
- Bupleurum nodiflorum Sm.
- Bupleurum nordmannianum Ledeb.
- Bupleurum odontites L.
- Bupleurum oligactis Boiss.
- Bupleurum orientale Snogerup
- Bupleurum pachnospermum Pančić
- Bupleurum pamiricum Pimenov & Kljuykov
- Bupleurum papillosum DC.
- Bupleurum pauciradiatum Fenzl ex Boiss.
- Bupleurum pendikum Snogerup
- Bupleurum persicum Boiss.
- Bupleurum petiolulatum Franch.
- Bupleurum petraeum L.
- Bupleurum plantagineum Desf.
- Bupleurum plantaginifolium Wight
- Bupleurum polyactis Post ex Snogerup
- Bupleurum polyclonum Yin Li & S.L.Pan
- Bupleurum polyphyllum Ledeb.
- Bupleurum postii H.Wolff
- Bupleurum praealtum L.
- Bupleurum pulchellum Boiss. & Heldr.
- Bupleurum qinghaiense Yin Li & J.X.Guo
- Bupleurum ramosissimum Wight & Arn.
- Bupleurum ranunculoides L.
- Bupleurum regelii Lincz. & V.M.Vinogr.
- Bupleurum rigidum L.
- Bupleurum rischawianum Albov
- Bupleurum rockii H.Wolff
- Bupleurum rollii (Montel.) Pignatti
- Bupleurum rosulare Korovin ex Pimenov & Sdobnina
- Bupleurum rotundifolium L.
- Bupleurum rupestre Edgew.
- Bupleurum sachalinense F.Schmidt
- Bupleurum salicifolium R.Br.
- Bupleurum schistosum Woronow
- Bupleurum scorzonerifolium Willd.
- Bupleurum semicompositum L.
- Bupleurum setaceum Fenzl
- Bupleurum shanianum X.G.Ma & X.J.He
- Bupleurum shikotanense M.Hiroe
- Bupleurum sibiricum Vest ex Spreng.
- Bupleurum sikkimensis P.K.Mukh.
- Bupleurum sintenisii Asch. & Urb. ex Huter
- Bupleurum × sitenskyi Šourková
- Bupleurum smithii H.Wolff
- Bupleurum sosnowskyi Manden.
- Bupleurum spinosum Gouan
- Bupleurum stellatum L.
- Bupleurum stenophyllum (Nakai) Kitag.
- Bupleurum stewartianum Nasir
- Bupleurum subnivale (Galushko) Galushko
- Bupleurum subovatum Link ex Spreng.
- Bupleurum subspinosum Maire & Weiller
- Bupleurum subuniflorum Boiss. & Heldr.
- Bupleurum sulphureum Boiss. & Balansa
- Bupleurum swatianum Nasir
- Bupleurum teberdense Kljuykov
- Bupleurum tenuissimum L.
- Bupleurum terminum A.P.Khokhr.
- Bupleurum thianschanicum Freyn
- Bupleurum thomsonii C.B.Clarke
- Bupleurum trichopodum Boiss. & Spruner
- Bupleurum triradiatum Adams ex Hoffm.
- Bupleurum turcicum Snogerup
- Bupleurum tuschkanczik Stepanov
- Bupleurum veronense Turra
- Bupleurum virgatum Cav.
- Bupleurum wenchuanense R.H.Shan & Y.Li
- Bupleurum wittmannii Steven
- Bupleurum wolffianum Bornm. ex H.Wolff
- Bupleurum woronowii Manden.
- Bupleurum yinchowense R.H.Shan & Y.Li
- Bupleurum yunnanense Franch.
- Bupleurum zoharii Snogerup
The Allure of Bupleurum
What draws me to Bupleurum is its understated elegance. These plants aren’t flashy or flamboyant, but they possess a quiet beauty that’s both captivating and calming. Their simple forms and subtle colors blend seamlessly into their surroundings, creating a sense of harmony and balance.
But Bupleurum’s appeal goes beyond aesthetics. This genus has a long history of use in traditional medicine, particularly in East Asia. Bupleurum roots are believed to have anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and hepatoprotective properties. They’re used to treat a wide range of conditions, including colds, flu, hepatitis, and menstrual irregularities.
Modern research is starting to validate some of these traditional uses. Studies have shown that Bupleurum extracts can indeed have anti-inflammatory and antiviral effects. They may also help protect the liver from damage and boost the immune system.
Bupleurum in the Garden
While Bupleurum may not be a household name in the gardening world, it certainly deserves a place in more gardens. These plants are relatively low-maintenance and can add a touch of understated elegance to any landscape.
Some species, like Bupleurum fruticosum, make excellent shrubs for borders or hedges. Others, like Bupleurum falcatum, are well-suited for wildflower meadows or naturalistic plantings. And with their delicate foliage and airy umbels, Bupleurum species can bring a touch of lightness and grace to any garden setting.
Looking Ahead
As I continue to explore the world of plants, I’m excited to see what the future holds for Bupleurum. With its diverse characteristics and potential uses, this genus has much to offer. Whether it’s appreciated for its beauty, its medicinal properties, or its ecological role, Bupleurum is a testament to the wonders of the natural world.
I hope this article has sparked your curiosity about Bupleurum. If you have the opportunity, I encourage you to seek out these fascinating plants and appreciate their understated beauty for yourself.
