218 Species in Genus Bupleurum

November 11 – Bupleurum
"Bupleurum, the umbrella plant, defines November 11."
Bupleurum symbolizes protection and balance. You bring harmony to chaotic situations, offering shelter and calm. Like its structure, you are a stabilizing force for those around you.

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.

1. Bupleurum acutifolium Boiss.
2. Bupleurum aeneum Boiss. & A.Huet
3. Bupleurum aequiradiatum (H.Wolff) Snogerup & B.Snogerup
4. Bupleurum affine Sadler
5. Bupleurum aira Snogerup
6. Bupleurum aitchisonii (Boiss.) H.Wolff
7. Bupleurum alatum R.H.Shan & M.L.Sheh
8. Bupleurum album Maire
9. Bupleurum aleppicum Boiss.
10. Bupleurum alpigenum Jord. & Fourr.
11. Bupleurum americanum J.M.Coult. & Rose
12. Bupleurum anatolicum Hub.-Mor. & Reese
13. Bupleurum andhricum M.P.Nayar & R.N.Banerjee
14. Bupleurum angulosum L.
15. Bupleurum angustissimum (Franch.) Kitag.
16. Bupleurum antonii Maire
17. Bupleurum apiculatum Friv.
18. Bupleurum asperuloides Heldr.
19. Bupleurum atargense Gorovoj
20. Bupleurum atlanticum Murb.
21. Bupleurum aureum Fisch. ex Hoffm.
22. Bupleurum badachschanicum Lincz.
23. Bupleurum baimaense X.G.Ma & X.J.He
24. Bupleurum balansae Boiss. & Reut.
25. Bupleurum baldense Turra
26. Bupleurum barceloi Coss. ex Willk.
27. Bupleurum benoistii Litard. & Maire
28. Bupleurum bicaule Helm
29. Bupleurum boissieri Post
30. Bupleurum boissieuanum H.Wolff
31. Bupleurum bourgaei Boiss. & Reut.
32. Bupleurum brachiatum K.Koch ex Boiss.
33. Bupleurum brevicaule Schltdl.
34. Bupleurum canaliculatum Diels
35. Bupleurum candollei Wall. ex DC.
36. Bupleurum canescens Schousb.
37. Bupleurum capillare Boiss. & Heldr.
38. Bupleurum cappadocicum Boiss.
39. Bupleurum chaishoui R.H.Shan & M.L.Sheh
40. Bupleurum chevalieri Cherm.
41. Bupleurum chinense DC.
42. Bupleurum citrinum Hochst.
43. Bupleurum clarkeanum (H.Wolff) Nasir
44. Bupleurum commelynoideum H.Boissieu
45. Bupleurum commutatum Boiss. & Balansa
46. Bupleurum condensatum R.H.Shan & Y.Li
47. Bupleurum constancei Nazir
48. Bupleurum contractum Korovin
49. Bupleurum croceum Fenzl
50. Bupleurum dalhousieanum (C.B.Clarke) Koso-Pol.
51. Bupleurum davisii Snogerup
52. Bupleurum densiflorum Rupr.
53. Bupleurum dianthifolium Guss.
54. Bupleurum dichotomum Boiss.
55. Bupleurum dielsianum H.Wolff
56. Bupleurum distichophyllum Wight & Arn.
57. Bupleurum dracaenoides Huan C.Wang, Z.R.He & H.Sun
58. Bupleurum dumosum Coss. & Balansa
59. Bupleurum eginense (H.Wolff) Snogerup
60. Bupleurum elatum Guss.
61. Bupleurum erubescens Boiss.
62. Bupleurum euboeum Beauverd & Topali
63. Bupleurum euphorbioides Nakai
64. Bupleurum exaltatum M.Bieb.
65. Bupleurum falcatum L.
66. Bupleurum faurelii Maire
67. Bupleurum ferganense Lincz.
68. Bupleurum flavicans Boiss. & Heldr.
69. Bupleurum flavum Forssk.
70. Bupleurum flexile Bornm. & Gauba
71. Bupleurum foliosum Salzm. ex DC.
72. Bupleurum freitagii Rech.f.
73. Bupleurum fruticescens L.
74. Bupleurum fruticosum L.
75. Bupleurum gansuense S.L.Pan & P.S.Hsu
76. Bupleurum gaudianum Snogerup
77. Bupleurum gerardi All.
78. Bupleurum ghahremanii Mozaff.
79. Bupleurum gibraltaricum Lam.
80. Bupleurum gilanicum Mozaff.
81. Bupleurum gilesii H.Wolff
82. Bupleurum glumaceum Sm.
83. Bupleurum gracile d’Urv.
84. Bupleurum gracilipes Diels
85. Bupleurum gracillimum Klotzsch
86. Bupleurum greuteri Snogerup
87. Bupleurum gulczense O.Fedtsch. & B.Fedtsch.
88. Bupleurum gussonei (Arcang.) Snogerup & B.Snogerup
89. Bupleurum hakgalense Klack.
90. Bupleurum hamiltonii N.P.Balakr.
91. Bupleurum handiense (Bolle) G.Kunkel
92. Bupleurum haussknechtii Boiss.
93. Bupleurum heldreichii Boiss. & Balansa
94. Bupleurum hoffmeisteri Klotzsch
95. Bupleurum imaicola J.Kern.
96. Bupleurum iranicum Bidarlord & Lyskov
97. Bupleurum isphairamicum Pimenov
98. Bupleurum jucundum Kurz
99. Bupleurum kabulicum Rech.f.
100. Bupleurum kakiskalae Greuter
101. Bupleurum kaoi Liu, C.Y.Chao & Chuang
102. Bupleurum karglii Vis.
103. Bupleurum khasianum (C.B.Clarke) P.K.Mukh.
104. Bupleurum koechelii Fenzl
105. Bupleurum kohistanicum Nasir
106. Bupleurum komarovianum Lincz.
107. Bupleurum kosopolianskyi Grossh.
108. Bupleurum krylovianum Schischk.
109. Bupleurum kunmingense Yin Li & S.L.Pan
110. Bupleurum kurdicum Boiss.
111. Bupleurum kurzii P.K.Mukh.
112. Bupleurum kweichowense R.H.Shan
113. Bupleurum lanceolatum Wall. ex DC.
114. Bupleurum lancifolium Hornem.
115. Bupleurum lateriflorum Coss.
116. Bupleurum latissimum Nakai
117. Bupleurum leucocladum Boiss.
118. Bupleurum libanoticum Boiss. & C.I.Blanche
119. Bupleurum linczevskii Pimenov & Sdobnina
120. Bupleurum lipskyanum (Koso-Pol.) Lincz.
121. Bupleurum longeradiatum Turcz.
122. Bupleurum longicaule Wall. ex DC.
123. Bupleurum longifolium L.
124. Bupleurum lophocarpum Boiss. & Balansa
125. Bupleurum luxiense Yin Li & S.L.Pan
126. Bupleurum lycaonicum Snogerup
127. Bupleurum maddenii C.B.Clarke
128. Bupleurum malconense R.H.Shan & Y.Li
129. Bupleurum marginatum Wall. ex DC.
130. Bupleurum marschallianum C.A.Mey.
131. Bupleurum martjanovii Krylov
132. Bupleurum mayeri Micevski
133. Bupleurum mesatlanticum Litard. & Maire
134. Bupleurum microcephalum Diels
135. Bupleurum miyamorii Kitag.
136. Bupleurum mongolicum V.M.Vinogr.
137. Bupleurum montanum Coss. & Durieu
138. Bupleurum multinerve DC.
139. Bupleurum mundii Cham. & Schltdl.
140. Bupleurum muschleri H.Wolff
141. Bupleurum nanum Poir.
142. Bupleurum nematocladum Rech.f.
143. Bupleurum nigrescens Nasir
144. Bupleurum nipponicum Koso-Pol.
145. Bupleurum nodiflorum Sm.
146. Bupleurum nordmannianum Ledeb.
147. Bupleurum odontites L.
148. Bupleurum oligactis Boiss.
149. Bupleurum orientale Snogerup
150. Bupleurum pachnospermum Pančić
151. Bupleurum pamiricum Pimenov & Kljuykov
152. Bupleurum papillosum DC.
153. Bupleurum pauciradiatum Fenzl ex Boiss.
154. Bupleurum pendikum Snogerup
155. Bupleurum persicum Boiss.
156. Bupleurum petiolulatum Franch.
157. Bupleurum petraeum L.
158. Bupleurum plantagineum Desf.
159. Bupleurum plantaginifolium Wight
160. Bupleurum polyactis Post ex Snogerup
161. Bupleurum polyclonum Yin Li & S.L.Pan
162. Bupleurum polyphyllum Ledeb.
163. Bupleurum postii H.Wolff
164. Bupleurum praealtum L.
165. Bupleurum pulchellum Boiss. & Heldr.
166. Bupleurum qinghaiense Yin Li & J.X.Guo
167. Bupleurum ramosissimum Wight & Arn.
168. Bupleurum ranunculoides L.
169. Bupleurum regelii Lincz. & V.M.Vinogr.
170. Bupleurum rigidum L.
171. Bupleurum rischawianum Albov
172. Bupleurum rockii H.Wolff
173. Bupleurum rollii (Montel.) Pignatti
174. Bupleurum rosulare Korovin ex Pimenov & Sdobnina
175. Bupleurum rotundifolium L.
176. Bupleurum rupestre Edgew.
177. Bupleurum sachalinense F.Schmidt
178. Bupleurum salicifolium R.Br.
179. Bupleurum schistosum Woronow
180. Bupleurum scorzonerifolium Willd.
181. Bupleurum semicompositum L.
182. Bupleurum setaceum Fenzl
183. Bupleurum shanianum X.G.Ma & X.J.He
184. Bupleurum shikotanense M.Hiroe
185. Bupleurum sibiricum Vest ex Spreng.
186. Bupleurum sikkimensis P.K.Mukh.
187. Bupleurum sintenisii Asch. & Urb. ex Huter
188. Bupleurum × sitenskyi Šourková
189. Bupleurum smithii H.Wolff
190. Bupleurum sosnowskyi Manden.
191. Bupleurum spinosum Gouan
192. Bupleurum stellatum L.
193. Bupleurum stenophyllum (Nakai) Kitag.
194. Bupleurum stewartianum Nasir
195. Bupleurum subnivale (Galushko) Galushko
196. Bupleurum subovatum Link ex Spreng.
197. Bupleurum subspinosum Maire & Weiller
198. Bupleurum subuniflorum Boiss. & Heldr.
199. Bupleurum sulphureum Boiss. & Balansa
200. Bupleurum swatianum Nasir
201. Bupleurum teberdense Kljuykov
202. Bupleurum tenuissimum L.
203. Bupleurum terminum A.P.Khokhr.
204. Bupleurum thianschanicum Freyn
205. Bupleurum thomsonii C.B.Clarke
206. Bupleurum trichopodum Boiss. & Spruner
207. Bupleurum triradiatum Adams ex Hoffm.
208. Bupleurum turcicum Snogerup
209. Bupleurum tuschkanczik Stepanov
210. Bupleurum veronense Turra
211. Bupleurum virgatum Cav.
212. Bupleurum wenchuanense R.H.Shan & Y.Li
213. Bupleurum wittmannii Steven
214. Bupleurum wolffianum Bornm. ex H.Wolff
215. Bupleurum woronowii Manden.
216. Bupleurum yinchowense R.H.Shan & Y.Li
217. Bupleurum yunnanense Franch.
218. 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.