Gentianaceae is a family offlowering plants of 105 genera and about 1650 species.[3][4] It inhabits every continent except the antarctic, and has been used around the world for centuries as traditional medicine.
Distribution iscosmopolitan.[citation needed] Gentianaceae occurs on all continents except the antarctic, although diversity is highest in temperate and subtropical regions. Gentianaceae species often inhabit alpine and subalpine habitats.
The family consists of herbs, shrubs, and a few trees. The family shows a wide range of colors and floral patterns.Flowers areactinomorphic and bisexual with fused sepals and petals. Thestamens are attached to the inside of the petals (epipetalous) and alternate with the corolla lobes. There is a glandular disk at the base of the gynoecium, and flowers have parietal placentation. Theinflorescence is cymose, with simple or complexcymes. Thefruits are dehiscent septicidal capsules splitting into two halves, rarely some species have aberry. Seeds are small with copiously oily endosperms and a straight embryo. The habit varies from smalltrees, pachycaulshrubs to (usually)herbs, with ascending, erect or twining stems. Plants are usually rhizomatous. Leavesopposite, less often alternate or in some species whorled, simple in shape, with entire edges and basesconnately attached to the stem. Stipules are absent. Plants usually accumulate bitteriridoid substances; bicollateral bundles are present.
Gentianaceae species have a variety of pollination mechanisms including bees, hummingbirds, bats, and moths. Their seeds are dispersed by mammals, bats, birds, and wind.[5] Despite some species having a bitter taste, gentians can by eaten by butterfly larvae, moths, beetles, and mammals like deer.[6] Some genera have ecological interactions with ants. Ants will visit nectaries, calyces, petioles, and sometimes live in the hollow stems of gentians. Ants interact with species in the generaFagraea,Anthocleista,Tachia,Chelonanthus, andSwertia.[6]
According to Merckx et al.,[8] theneotropics were an important area for the early diversification events in Gentianaceae, most of which occurring during theEocene. However, Pirie et al.[9] suggested that ancientvicariance cannot be ruled out as an explanation for the early origins ofExaceae acrossAfrica,Madagascar and the Indian subcontinent.
In 2016, Favre et al.[10] used phylogenetic reconstruction to find that early early diversification and dispersal of the Gentiana genus and Gentianinae subtribe occurred in the Quinghai-Tibet Plateau region. As the plateau lifted starting 50 million years ago, there was increased altitudinal zonation and many unique habitat niches in a small area. Gentiana species dispersed from the Quinghai-Tibet Plateau and surrounding areas to Taiwan, eastern China, North and South America, Australia, and New Guinea starting in the mid-Miocene era.
Gentians have been used as traditional medicine for centuries in China, Tibet, India and Iran.[11] They contain bioactive compounds such as xanthones, iridoids, and flavonoids. These compounds give them anti-inflammatory, anti-melanogenic, anti-ischemic, anti-fibrotic, and antioxidant properties. Gentians have been used to treat and prevent dermatological diseases, menstrual over-bleeding, conjunctivitis, venom poisoning, injuries, infected wounds, and pain and swelling of organs.[12][11] There is research being done currently on how compounds in gentians can be used in modern medicine.
^Merckx, Vincent S.F.T.; Kissling, Jonathan; Hentrich, Heiko; Janssens, Steven B.; Mennes, Constantijn B.; Specht, Chelsea D.; Smets, Erik F. (2013). "Phylogenetic relationships of the mycoheterotrophic genus Voyria and the implication for the biogeographic history of Gentianaceae".American Journal of Botany.100 (4):712–721.Bibcode:2013AmJB..100..712M.doi:10.3732/ajb.1200330.PMID23535773.
