Gentianales is anorder offlowering plant, included within theasterid clade ofeudicots. It comprises more than 20,000 species in about 1,200 genera in 5 families.[1] More than 80% of the species in this order belong to the familyRubiaceae.
Many of these flowering plants are used in traditional medicine.[2] They have been used to treat pain, anxiety, cancers and neurological conditions.
According tomolecular clock calculations, the lineage that led to Gentianales split from other plants about 108 million years ago[3] or 81 million years ago.[4]
In the classification system ofDahlgren the Gentiales were in thesuperorder Gentianiflorae (also called Gentiananae). The following families are included according to theAPG III system:[5]
It takes its name from the familyGentianaceae, which in turn is based on the name of the type genus,Gentiana. The genus name is a tribute toGentius, an Illyrian king.
This large order has a variety of different plants, ranging from smallherbaceous plants andsaprophytes toshrubs and largetrees.[7] Species are, however, united by their simple and opposite leaves and typically have showy pentamerous flowers (flowers in which components occur in multiples of five) and shownuclear endosperm formation (in which cell division takes place without the cell wall forming between divisions).[1][7] Many species have structures between the leaf petioles, such as ridges orstipules.[7] Many species also havecolleters; thick hair-like structures that secretemucilage, a thick gluey substance.[7]
Many gentianales contain toxic compounds and species have a variety of uses. Some species are also grown ornamentally.[7] Well-known members of Gentianales arecoffee,frangipani,Gardenia,gentian,oleander, andperiwinkle.
Certain species belonging to the order Gentianales have been used in traditional medicine in rural southeastern Asia countries.Gelsemium sempervirens has been used in North American folk medicine to treat conditions such as anxiety, migraines/headaches, and neuralgia, whileGelsemium elegans has been used in China to treat rheumatoid arthritis pain, neuropathic pain, skin ulcers, and even cancers.[2]
The compounds found in some species are used in the synthesis of modern medicines. Cinchona trees, for example, are a source of quinine, which is used to treat malaria.[8]Vinblastine, which has anti-tumor properties as it disrupts cell division, is used inchemotherapy. It is extracted from theMadagascar periwinkle.
^Backlund M, Oxelman B, Bremer B (2000). "Phylogenetic relationships within the Gentianales based on NDHF and RBCL sequences, with particular reference to the Loganiaceae".American Journal of Botany.87 (7):1029–1043.doi:10.2307/2657003.JSTOR2657003.PMID10898781.S2CID15433433.
