EUPATORIUM encyclopedia topics

Systematics and taxonomy

Eupatorium has at times been held to contain as many as 800 species, but many of these have been moved (at least by some authors) to other genera, including Ageratina, Chromolaena, Condylidium, Conoclinium, Critonia, Cronquistianthus, Eutrochium, Fleischmannia, Flyriella, Hebeclinium, Koanophyllon, Mikania, and Tamaulipa.

The classification of the tribe Eupatorieae, including species placed in Eupatorium in the present or past, is an area of ongoing research, so further changes are likely. What seems fairly certain by now is that there is a monophyletic group containing Eupatorium (about 42 species of white flowered plants in North America, Europe and Asia, but not South America) and the Joe-pye weeds (Eutrochium), and possibly others.

Uses

Eupatorium species are used as food plants by the caterpillars of some Lepidoptera:

Bucculatrix eupatoriella (a leaf-miner) - only known from Common Boneset (E. perfoliatum)
V-pug (Chloroclystis v-ata)
Wormwood Pug (Eupithecia absinthiata)
Schinia trifascia
Coleophora case-bearers:

C. follicularis
C. trochilella
C. troglodytella

A few species or cultivars, such as E. sordidum and E. coelestinum cv. 'Album', are sometimes used as ornamental plants. In particular, they are good for structural or background plantings or to attract butterflies; especially E. itatiayense, E. maximiliani and E. squalidum are known as good honey plants.

Tobacco leaf curl virus is a pathogen occasionally affecting plants of this genus.

Medical use

Boneset, although poisonous to humans and grazing livestock, has been used in folk medicine, for instance to excrete excess uric acid which causes gout. Eupatorium has many more presumed beneficial uses, including treatment of dengue fever, arthritis, certain infectious diseases, migraine, intestinal worms, malaria, and diarrhea. Boneset infusions are also considered an excellent remedy for influenza. Scientific research of these applications is rudimentary at present, however.

Caution is advised when using boneset, since it contains toxic compounds that can cause liver damage. Side effects include muscular tremors, weakness, and constipation; overdoses may be deadly.

Compounds that occur in this genus include Herniarin (7-O-methylumbelliferone, 7-methoxycoumarin; in aya-pana, E. ayapana).

Selected species

North America

Eupatorium album – White Thoroughwort
Eupatorium altissimum
Eupatorium capillifolium – "dog-fennel"
Eupatorium compositifolium
Eupatorium hyssopifolium – Hyssop-leaved Thoroughwort
Eupatorium lancifolium
Eupatorium leptophyllum
Eupatorium leucolepis
Eupatorium linearifolium (Eupatorium cuneifolium)
Eupatorium mikanioides
Eupatorium mohrii
Eupatorium perfoliatum L. – Common Boneset
Eupatorium resinosum – Pine Barren Boneset
Eupatorium rotundifolium – Round-leaved Thoroughwort
Eupatorium semiserratum
Eupatorium serotinum – Late Boneset, Late Thoroughwort
Eupatorium sessilifolium L. – Upland Boneset

Europe

Eupatorium cannabinum – Hemp-agrimony

Asia

Uncategorized

Moved to other genera

Eupatorium amygdalinum (moved to Ayapana)
Eupatorium ayapana – aya-pana, Water Hemp (moved to Ayapana)
Eupatorium coelestinum – mistflower (moved to Conoclinium)
Eupatorium collinum (moved to Chromolaena collina)
Eupatorium gayanum – asmachilca (moved to Aristeguietia gayana)
Eupatorium ligustrinum (moved to Ageratina ligustrina)
Eupatorium maculatum (Eutrochium maculatum) Joe-Pye Weed
Eupatorium megalophyllum (moved to Bartlettina sordida)
Eupatorium purpureum (moved to Eutrochium purpureum)
Eupatorium rugosum (moved to Ageratina altissima)
Eupatorium sordidum (moved to Bartlettina sordida)

Footnotes

References

(2004): Encyclopedia of Folk Medicine: Old World and New World Traditions. ABC-CLIO, Inc., Santa Barbara. ISBN 1576078744
(2000): Phylogeny and Phytogeography of Eupatorium (Eupatorieae, Asteraceae): Insights from Sequence Data of the nrDNA ITS Regions and cpDNA RFLP. Journal of Plant Research 113(1): 79-89. (HTML abstract)
(1995): Taxonomy of Eupatorium Section Verticillata (Asteraceae). New York Botanical Garden Press. ISBN 0-89327-391-0
(2005): The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine (2nd ed., vol. 1). Gale Group, New York. ISBN 0787674249
(2000): Phylogeny and biogeography of Eupatorium (Asteraceae: Eupatorieae) based on nuclear ITS sequence data. Am. J. Bot. 87(5): 716-726. PMID 10811796 PDF fulltext
(1999): A review of the toxicosis and biological properties of the genus Eupatorium. Natural Toxins 6(1): 1–14. (HTML abstract)
(1987): The Sectional Nomenclature of Eupatorium (Asteraceae). Taxon 36(3): 618-620.