Coptis
Encyclopedia
Coptis is a genus of between 10–15 species of flowering plant
s in the family Ranunculaceae
, native to Asia
and North America
.
is used as a medicinal herb
in the Himalayan regions of India
where it is used as a bitter tonic for dyspepsia
. It is also believed to help insomnia
in Chinese herbology
. The roots contain the bitter alkaloid
berberine
.
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
s in the family Ranunculaceae
Ranunculaceae
Ranunculaceae are a family of about 1700 species of flowering plants in about 60 genera, distributed worldwide....
, native to Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
Species
Selected species- Coptis aspleniifoliaCoptis aspleniifoliaCoptis aspleniifolia, commonly known as fernleaf goldthread or spleenwort-leaf goldthread, is found in the northern two-thirds of British Columbia, in Alaska, and along the Cascades into Washington and is a native plant of the temperate rain forests of the region...
- Coptis chinensisCoptis chinensisThe Chinese goldthread is a species of goldthread native to China.-Etymology:*Coptis chinensis Franch. var. chinensis**The Chinese goldthread (Coptis chinensis) is a species of goldthread native to China.-Etymology:*Coptis chinensis Franch. var. chinensis**The Chinese goldthread (Coptis chinensis)...
- Coptis deltoidea
- Coptis groenlandica
- Coptis japonica - Huang lian in Chinese
- Coptis laciniataCoptis laciniataCoptis laciniata is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family known by the common name Oregon goldthread. It is native to Washington, Oregon, and far northern California on the west coast of the United States, where it grows in wet habitat in the understory of mountain and coastal...
- Coptis occidentalisCoptis occidentalisCoptis occidentalis, Idaho Goldthread, is plant native to western North America. It is a member of the buttercup family. This plant has also been known under the binomial Chrysocoptis occidentalis and the common name western goldthread....
- Coptis omeiensis
- Coptis quinquefolia
- Coptis quinquesectaCoptis quinquesectaCoptis quinquesecta is a species of goldthread native to Yunnan, China and locally in northern Vietnam....
- Coptis teetaCoptis teetaCoptis teeta is a rare species of flowering plant in the buttercup family.-Medicinal uses:It is a species of importance in Chinese herbology. Known as Yunnan goldthread , its rhizome is used as an antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory.-Habitat:...
- Coptis trifoliaCoptis trifoliaThreeleaf Goldthread or Savoyane is a perennial plant in the genus Coptis, a member of the Ranunculaceae family.It has one small, deeply three-lobed, evergreen leaf rising from the ground....
Uses
Coptis teetaCoptis teeta
Coptis teeta is a rare species of flowering plant in the buttercup family.-Medicinal uses:It is a species of importance in Chinese herbology. Known as Yunnan goldthread , its rhizome is used as an antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory.-Habitat:...
is used as a medicinal herb
Herb
Except in botanical usage, an herb is "any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or "a part of such a plant as used in cooking"...
in the Himalayan regions of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
where it is used as a bitter tonic for dyspepsia
Dyspepsia
Dyspepsia , also known as upset stomach or indigestion, refers to a condition of impaired digestion. It is a medical condition characterized by chronic or recurrent pain in the upper abdomen, upper abdominal fullness and feeling full earlier than expected when eating...
. It is also believed to help insomnia
Insomnia
Insomnia is most often defined by an individual's report of sleeping difficulties. While the term is sometimes used in sleep literature to describe a disorder demonstrated by polysomnographic evidence of disturbed sleep, insomnia is often defined as a positive response to either of two questions:...
in Chinese herbology
Chinese herbology
Chinese Herbology is the theory of Traditional Chinese herbal therapy, which accounts for the majority of treatments in Traditional Chinese medicine ....
. The roots contain the bitter alkaloid
Alkaloid
Alkaloids are a group of naturally occurring chemical compounds that contain mostly basic nitrogen atoms. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Also some synthetic compounds of similar structure are attributed to alkaloids...
berberine
Berberine
Berberine is a quaternary ammonium salt from the protoberberine group of isoquinoline alkaloids. It is found in such plants as Berberis Berberine is a quaternary ammonium salt from the protoberberine group of isoquinoline alkaloids. It is found in such plants as Berberis Berberine is a quaternary...
.
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