Taxon: Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal

• the 3 historical accession(s) associated with this name.
• Check PlantSearch database of Botanic Gardens Conservation International for possible non-NPGS germplasm.

Common names:

• winter-cherry   (Source: F Zamb ) – English
  
• ashwagandha   (Source: Herbs Commerce ed2 ) – India
  
• withania   (Source: Vara kulturvaxt namn ) – Swedish
  

Economic importance:

• Medicines: folklore   (fide New Crops; Pl Book; CRC MedHerbs ed2; Herbs Commerce ed2)
  

More:

View phytochemical or ethnobotanical data from Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases

Distributional range:

• AFRICA
  Macaronesia: Cape Verde; Spain - Canary Islands
  Northern Africa: Algeria; Egypt; Libya; Morocco; Tunisia
  Northeast Tropical Africa: Chad; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Somalia; Sudan
  East Tropical Africa: Kenya; Tanzania; Uganda
  West Tropical Africa: Liberia; Mali; Nigeria
  South Tropical Africa: Angola; Malawi; Mozambique; Zambia; Zimbabwe
  Southern Africa: Botswana; Lesotho; Namibia; South Africa - Cape Province, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Transvaal; Swaziland
  Western Indian Ocean: Mauritius
• ASIA-TEMPERATE
  Arabian Peninsula: Arabia
  Western Asia: Afghanistan; Iran [s.]; Iraq; Israel; Jordan; Lebanon; Syria; Turkey
• ASIA-TROPICAL
  Indian Subcontinent: India; Pakistan; Sri Lanka
• EUROPE
  Southeastern Europe: Greece [incl. Crete]; Italy - Sardinia, Sicily
  Southwestern Europe: Spain [incl. Baleares]

• naturalized elsewhere

References:

• Aldén, B., S. Ryman & M. Hjertson. 2009. Våra kulturväxters namn - ursprung och användning. Formas, Stockholm (Handbook on Swedish cultivated and utility plants, their names and origin).
• Anjaria, J. V. 1989. Herbal Drugs: Potential for industry and cash. In: G. E. Wickens et al., New crops for food and industry. In: Wickens, G. E. et al., eds., New crops for food and industry. 91.
• Arechavaleta, M. et al., eds. 2005. Lista preliminar de especies silvestres de Cabo Verde: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres.
• Babu, C. R. 1977. Herbaceous flora of Dehra Dun.
• Cufodontis, G. 1953–1972. Enumeratio plantarum aethiopiae: Spermatophyta.
• Davis, P. H., ed. 1965–1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
• Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs.
• Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960–. Flora zambesiaca.
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
• Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14.
• Hansen, A. & P. Sunding. 1993. Flora of Macaronesia: checklist of vascular plants, ed. 4. Sommerfeltia vol. 17.
• Izquierdo Z., I. et al., eds. 2004. Lista de especies silvestres de Canarias: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres.
• Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953–1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
• Mabberley, D. J. 1997. The plant-book: a portable dictionary of the vascular plants, ed. 2.
• McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2.
• Meikle, R. D. 1977–1985. Flora of Cyprus.
• Mouterde, P. 1966–. Nouvelle flore du Liban et de la Syrie.
• Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. 1970–. Flora of [West] Pakistan.
• Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963–. Flora iranica.
• Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964–1980. Flora europaea.
• Zohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan. 1966–. Flora palaestina.

More:

Search AGRICOLA article citation database for citations referencing Withania somnifera.

Search NCBI's Entrez search engine for PubMed citations referencing Withania somnifera.

Search Biodiversity Heritage Library for historical publications referencing Withania somnifera.

Synonyms:

• (≡) Physalis somnifera L. (basionym)
  

Check other web resources for Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal:

• Flora Europaea: Database of European Plants (ESFEDS)
• SIBIS: South African National Biodiversity Institute's (SANBI) Integrated Biodiversity System
• On-line Flora of Zimbabwe
• Mansfeld: Mansfeld's World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops
• ePIC: Electronic Plant Information Centre of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
• AGRICOLA: Article Citation Database or NAL Catalog of USDA's National Agricultural Library
• Entrez: NCBI's search engine for PubMed citations, GenBank sequences, etc.

Check other web resources for images:

• PlantSystematics.org
• Note: Be advised that their identity may be inaccurate. Proper identification of a plant may require specialized taxonomic knowledge or comparison with properly documented herbarium material.

Abbreviations & symbols in GRIN Taxonomy

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