Peganum

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Peganum
Syrian Rue (Peganum harmala)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Sapindales Family: Nitrariaceae Genus: Peganum L.
Species
See text.

Peganum L. is a genus under the recently separated family Nitrariaceae (Sheahan & Chase 1996). Formerly it used to be included in the family Zygophyllaceae.

The genus has five species, occurring in warm temperate to subtropical regions across the world:

• Peganum harmala L. - Harmal or Syrian Rue (Mediterranean region east to India)
• Peganum mexicanum Gray (Mexico)
• Peganum nigellastrum Bunge (China)
  • Canthin-6-one alkaloids:^[1]
    • Luotonin C
    • Luotonin D
  • Phenylpropanoids:^[1]
    • Dihydrosinapyl ferulate
    • Dihydroconiferyl ferulate
  • Aerial parts
  • Other alkaloids:^[1]
    • Harmine
    • 3-phenylquinoline,
    • 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)quinoline and
    • 3-(1H-indol-3-yl)quinoline
• Peganum rothschildianum F.Buxbaum (Tunisia)
• Peganum texanum M.E.Jones (southern North America)

[edit] References

• Sheahan, M. C. & Chase, M. W. (1996). A phylogenetic analysis of Zygophyllaceae R. Br. based on morphological anatomical and rbcL DNA sequence data. Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 122: 279-300