Fumaria Explained

Fumaria (fumitory or fumewort, from Latin Latin: fumus terrae, "smoke of the earth") is a genus of about 60 species^[1] of annual flowering plants in the family Papaveraceae. The genus is native to Europe, Africa and Asia, most diverse in the Mediterranean region, and introduced to North, South America and Australia.^[2] Fumaria species are sometimes used in herbal medicine. Fumaria indica contains the alkaloids fuyuziphine and alpha-hydrastine.^{[3] [4]} Fumaria indica may have anti-inflammatory and analgesic potential.^[5]

Selected species

There are about 50 species:^[6]

• Fumaria abyssinica Hammar
• Fumaria agraria Lag.
• Fumaria ajmasiana Pau & Font Quer
• Fumaria asepala Boiss.
• Fumaria atlantica Coss. & Durieu ex Hausskn.
• Fumaria ballii Pugsley
• Fumaria barnolae Sennen & Pau
• Fumaria bastardii Boreau
• Fumaria berberica Pugsley
• Fumaria bicolor Sommier ex Nicotra
• Fumaria bracteosa Pomel
• Fumaria × burnatii Verg.
• Fumaria capitata Lidén
• Fumaria capreolata L.
• Fumaria coccinea R.T.Lowe ex Pugsley
• Fumaria daghestanica Michajlova
• Fumaria densiflora DC.
• Fumaria dubia Pugsley
• Fumaria erostrata (Pugsley) Lidén
• Fumaria faurei (Pugsley) M.Linden
• Fumaria flabellata Gasp.
• Fumaria × gagrica Michajlova
• Fumaria gaillardotii Boiss.
• Fumaria indica (Hausskn.) Pugsley
• Fumaria judaica Boiss.
• Fumaria kralikii Jord.
• Fumaria macrocarpa Parl.
• Fumaria macrosepala Boiss.
• Fumaria mairei Pugsley ex Maire
• Fumaria maurorum Maire
• Fumaria melillaica Pugsley
• Fumaria microstachys Kralik ex Hausskn.
• Fumaria mirabilis Pugsley
• Fumaria montana J.A.Schmidt
• Fumaria munbyi Boiss. & Reut.
• Fumaria muralis Sond. ex W.D.J.Koch
• Fumaria normanii Pugsley
• Fumaria occidentalis Pugsley
• Fumaria officinalis L.
• Fumaria ouezzanensis Pugsley
• Fumaria parviflora Lam.
• Fumaria petteri Rchb.
• Fumaria platycarpa Lidén
• Fumaria pugsleyana (Pugsley) Lidén
• Fumaria purpurea Pugsley
• Fumaria ragusina (Pugsley) Pugsley
• Fumaria reuteri Boiss.
• Fumaria rifana Lidén
• Fumaria rostellata Knaf
• Fumaria rupestris Boiss. & Reut.
• Fumaria schleicheri Soy.-Will.
• Fumaria schrammii Velen.
• Fumaria segetalis (Hammar) Cout.
• Fumaria sepium Boiss. & Reut.
• Fumaria skottsbergii Lidén
• Fumaria vaillantii Loisel.

Notes and References

1. Murphy, R.J. (2009)b Fumitories of Britain and Ireland. BSBI Handbook No. 12.
2. Lidén, Magnus. 1986. Synopsis of Fumarioideae (Papaveraceae) with a monograph of the tribe Fumarieae. Opera Botanica 88, Copenhagen, Denmark
3. Pandey MB, Singh AK, Singh JP, Singh VP, Pandey VB .,"Fuyuziphine, a new alkaloid from Fumaria indica." Nat Prod Res 2008 Apr 15;22(6):533-536
4. http://www.mycobiology.or.kr/Upload/files/MYCOBIOLOGY/35(3)%20157-158.pdf
5. Rao CV, Verma AR, Gupta PK, Vijayakumar M.,"Anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive activities of Fumaria indica whole plant extract in experimental animals." Acta Pharm. 2007 Dec;57(4):491-498
6. Web site: Fumaria . . November 4, 2013.