218 Species of Genus Bupleurum

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.

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