Arnebia densiflora

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Asterids
Cladus: Lamiids
Ordo: Boraginales

Familia: Boraginaceae
Subfamilia: Boraginoideae
Tribus: Lithospermeae
Genus: Arnebia
Species: Arnebia densiflora
Name

Arnebia densiflora (Ledeb. ex Nordm.) Ledeb., Fl. Ross. 3: 140 (1847).
Synonyms

Basionym
Lithospermum densiflorum Ledeb. ex Nordm., Bull. Sci. Acad. Imp. Sci. Saint-Pétersbourg 2: 312 (1837).
Homotypic
Macrotomia densiflora (Ledeb. ex Nordm.) J.F.Macbr., Contr. Gray Herb. 48: 56 (1916).
Munbya densiflora (Ledeb. ex Nordm.) Boiss., Diagn. Pl. Orient. 11: 116 (1849).
Heterotypic
Arnebia cephalotes A.DC. in A.P.de Candolle, Prodr. 10: 96 (1846).
Arnebia macrothyrsa Stapf, Wiener Ill. Gart.-Zeitung 16: 128 (1891).
Macrotomia cephalotes Boiss., Fl. Orient. 4: 212 (1875).
Munbya cephalotes Boiss., Diagn. Pl. Orient. 11: 116 (1849).
Munbya conglobata Boiss., Diagn. Pl. Orient. 11: 116 (1849).

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Europe
Southeastern Europe
Greece.
Asia-Temperate
Caucasus
North Caucasus, Transcaucasus ( Azerbaijan).
Western Asia
Turkey.

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Ledebour, C.F. 1847–1849. Flora Rossica; (sive, Enumeratio plantarum in totius Imperii Rossici provinciis Europaeis, Asiaticis et Americanis hucusque observatarum). Vol. 3. Pars 1. pp. 1–492. Stuttgartiae [Stuttgart], E. Schweizerbart. BHL Reference page. : 3: 140

Additional references

Davis, P.H. (ed.) 1978. Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands. Vol. 6 (Campanulaceae to Scrophulariaceae). 825 pp., Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, ISBN 0-85224-336-7. Reference page.

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2023. Arnebia densiflora in Kew Science Plants of the World Online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2023 August 20. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2023. Arnebia densiflora. Published online. Accessed: August 20 2023. Reference page.
Hassler, M. 2023. World Plants. Synonymic Checklist and Distribution of the World Flora. . Arnebia densiflora. Accessed: 20 August 2023.
Hassler, M. 2023. Arnebia densiflora. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2023. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published online. Accessed: 2023 August 20. Reference page.

Arnebia densiflora, (also called Macrotomia cephalotes) is a plant species belonging to the family Boraginaceae. It is native to Greece and Turkey. Arnebia densiflora has been investigated for its wound-healing abilities.
Etymology

Arnebia is the generic name derived from the Arabic name "shajaret el arneb". Densiflora is a Latin epithet that means "dense of flowers".[1]
Synonyms

Lithospermum densiflorum Ledeb.
Macrotomia cephalotes (A. DC.) Boiss.
Macrotomia densiflora (Ledeb.) McBride[2]

Description

Small clump-forming from a robust, somewhat woody rootstock with erect, hispid, unbranched stems 25-40cm high. Basal leaves linear elliptic to narrowly lanceolate, 10-15cm long with stalks to 4cm; stem leaves smaller and sessile, velvety-hairy. Flowers are yellow, 3.5-4.5 cm long by 1.2-1.6 cm across densely planted on the ends of stems and branches. It flowers from early to late summer. All aerial parts are pubescent.[3]
Habitat

Arnebia densiflora prefers mountain areas and places with dry and sunny rocky soils. It is native to Greece and Turkey on volcanic or limestone slopes and cliffs at 750-2600m.[3]
Medicinal use

Arnebia densiflora has been investigated for its wound healing abilities.[4]

Arnebia densiflora is one of the five species of Boraginaceae family grown in Turkey.[4] Several species of Boraginaceous plants are used as folk medicine in Turkey and eastern Mediterranean countries.[4]

The pigmented root of Arnebia densiflora, known locally as ‘Eyilik,’ is added to olive oil and applied on open wounds and cuts in Anatolia.[4]

In Malatya, roots of Arnebia densiflora are dipped in butter.[4] After removing the root pieces the butter is mixed with beeswax to prepare an ointment for open wounds.[4] Roots of Arnebia densiflora are also used as a natural-dye to color Anatolian carpets.[4]

The medicinal effect might have to do with the high naphthoquinone content in the roots barks.[4]
Taxonomy

Arnebia densiflora was first described by Carl Friedrich von Ledebour.[5]

It was first published in Flora Rossica Enumeratio sive Plantarum in Totivs Imperii Rossici Provinciis europaeis, Asiaticis, et americanis Hucusque Observatarum 3 (1.8): 140. 1847 [3]
References

"Dictionary of Botanical Epithets".
"The Plant List".
"Tropicos".
Akkol, Esra Küpeli; Koca, Ufuk; Peşin, Ipek; Yılmazer, Demet; Toker, Gülnur; Yeşilada, Erdem (2009). "Exploring the wound healing activity of Arnebia densiflora (Nordm.) Ledeb. by in vivo models". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 124 (1): 137–141. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2009.03.019. PMID 19500923.
"Catalogue of Life: 2014 Annual Checklist".