Vernonia

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Asterids
Cladus: Campanulids
Ordo: Asterales

Familia: Asteraceae
Subfamilia: Vernonioideae
Tribus: Vernonieae
Subtribus: Vernoniinae
Genus: Vernonia
Species:
A

V. acaulis – V. acrophila – V. actaea – V. adenocephala – V. adulteriana – V. albosquama – V. alleizettei – V. alticola – V. ambolensis – V. ambrensis – V. amoena – V. ampandrandavensis – V. anamallica – V. anandrioides – V. andapensis – V. angustifolia – V. annamensis – V. antunesii – V. aosteana – V. apoensis – V. arabica – V. areysiana – V. arkansana – V. aschersonii – V. aschersoninoides
B

V. balansae – V. baldwinii – V. bambilorensis – V. bauchiensis – V. bealliae – V. beddomei – V. benguetensis – V. betonicifolia – V. betsilensis – V. betsimisaraka – V. bipontini – V. blodgettii – V. bonapartei – V. bontocensis – V. borneensis – V. bottae – V. bourneana – V. brachytrichoides – V. brazzavillensis – V. brideliifolia – V. britteniana – V. bruceae – V. bruceana – V. buchingeri – V. buloburtiensis
C

V. calulu – V. campicola – V. capituliflora – V. carnea – V. carnotiana – V. cephalophora – V. chapmanii – V. chevalieri – V. chiliocephala – V. cleanthoides – V. clinopodioides – V. cockburniana – V. coerulea – V. concinna – V. confusa – V. congolensis – V. conyzoides – V. corchoroides – V. coronata – V. cryptocephala – V. cylindrica – V. cymosa
D

V. dalettiensis – V. daphnifolia – V. decaryana – V. delapsa – V. dembocola – V. devredii – V. dewildemaniana – V. didessana – V. dissimilis – V. diversifolia – V. divulgata – V. djalonensis – V. dranensis – V. drymaria – V. durifolia – V. duvigneaudii
E

V. echioides – V. elmeri – V. evrardiana – V. extranea – V. eylesii
F

V. fasciculata – V. faustiana – V. fimbrillata – V. fischeri – V. flaccidifolia – V. floresiana – V. forbesii – V. fractiflexa – V. friisii
G

V. galamensis – V. ganevii – V. georgiana – V. gertii – V. gigantea – V. gilbertii – V. glauca – V. goetzenii – V. gofensis – V. golungensis – V. gossweileri – V. gossypina – V. graniticola – V. greggii – V. griseopapposa – V. guadalupensis
H

V. hamata – V. helenae – V. helferi – V. helodea – V. hispidula – V. holstii – V. homolleae – V. huillensis – V. humillima – V. hyalina
I

V. ianthina – V. ikongensis – V. inanis – V. incana – V. isalensis – V. ischnophylla – V. isoetifolia
J

V. jaegeri – V. joyaliae – V. junghuhniana
K

V. kabaensis – V. kamerunensis – V. kandtii – V. kanikattiensis – V. kapirensis – V. kapolowensis – V. karvinskiana – V. kasaiensis – V. kawoziensis – V. kayuniana – V. kenteocephala – V. kigomae – V. klattii – V. klossis – V. kradungensis
L

V. lafukensis – V. lamii – V. lancifolia – V. larsenii – V. latisquamata – V. lavandulifolia – V. leandrii – V. ledermannii – V. ledocteana – V. lemurica – V. leonensis – V. leptantha – V. letiënsis – V. lettermannii – V. lindheimeri – V. lisowskii – V. loandensis – V. longibracteata – V. lualabaensis – V. lundiensis – V. luxuriosa – V. lycioides
M

V. macrachaenia – V. madefacta – V. malabarica – V. mandrarensis – V. manongarivensis – V. marginata – V. marojejyensis – V. mastersii – V. mazzocchii-alemannii – V. mbalensis – V. mecistophylla – V. meeboldii – V. melanocoma – V. mesogramme – V. mikumiensis – V. milanjiana – V. mildbraedii – V. mindanaensis – V. miombicola – V. miombicoloides – V. missurica – V. mogadoxensis – V. moluccensis – V. monantha – V. moritziana – V. mossambicensis – V. muelleri – V. mumpullensis – V. mushituensis – V. mutimushii
N

V. najas – V. napus – V. neocoursiana – V. neoperrieriana – V. nepetifolia – V. neumanniana – V. newbouldii – V. noveboracensis – V. nuxioides
O

V. occilta – V. ochyrae – V. orchidorrhiza – V. orgyalis – V. ornata – V. otophora
P

V. pachyclada – V. pandurata – V. papillosissima – V. papuana – V. parapetersii – V. parryae – V. patentissima – V. pellegrinii – V. phanerophlebia – V. phillipsiae – V. phlomoides – V. pierrei – V. pinarensis – V. platylepis – V. plumbaginifolia – V. poggeana – V. polyantha – V. popeana – V. potamophila – V. praticola – V. prolifera – V. pseudoappendiculata – V. pseudobaldwinii – V. pseudojugalis – V. pulchella – V. pulgarensis – V. pygmaea
Q

V. quangensis
R

V. raui – V. recurva – V. reinwardtiana – V. retifolia – V. revoluta – V. rhodanthoidea – V. rhodesiana – V. rhodophylla – V. robeechiana – V. robinsonii – V. roseoviolacea – V. rothii – V. rubens – V. rufuensis – V. rupicola – V. ruvungatundu – V. ruwensoriensis
S

V. sabulosa – V. saigonensis – V. sakalava – V. sambiranensis – V. sangka – V. sapinii – V. scaettae – V. schliebenii – V. schubotziana – V. schweinfurthii – V. sclerophylla – V. scoparia – V. sechellensis – V. sengana – V. sericolepis – V. seyrigii – V. shabaensis – V. sidamensis – V. solweziensis – V. spathulata – V. speiracephala – V. sphacelata – V. stahelinoides – V. stuhlmannii – V. subacaulis – V. subdentata – V. subplumosa – V. subscandens – V. subsimplex – V. subtilis – V. sumbavensis – V. suprafastigiata – V. syringifolia
T

V. tanalensis – V. tanganyikensis – V. temnolepis – V. tengwallii – V. teucrioides – V. teusczii – V. tewoldei – V. texana – V. thomsonii – V. thulinii – V. timorensis – V. timpermaniana – V. tinctosetosa – V. trachyphylla – V. tricholoba – V. tropophila – V. tuberifera – V. unicata – V. upembaensis
V

V. vaginata – V. vallicola – V. verdickii – V. verrucosa – V. vietnamensis – V. violacea – V. violaceo-papposa – V. vohemarensis – V. vollesenii – V. vulturina
W

V. wakefieldii – V. walshae – V. welwitschii – V. wetarensis
Y

V. yabelloana
Z

V. zambiana – V. zernyi
Source(s) of checklist:
Name

Vernonia Schreb., Gen. Pl., ed. 8[a]. 2: 541. (1791)

Type species: Vernonia noveboracensis (L.) Michx., Sp. Pl., ed. 4 [Willdenow] 3(3): 1632. (1803)

Note: This is a view of Vernonia s.s. see Discussion Page.
References

Schreber, J.C.D. von 1791. Genera Plantarum Eorumque Characteres Naturales Secundum Numerum, Figuram, Situm, & Proportionem Omnium Fructificationis Partium. (Ed. 8[a]). Frankfurt am Main, ed. 8[a]. 2: 541.
Hassler, M. 2017. Vernonia. 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. 2017. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2017 Dec. 6. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2017. Vernonia. Published online. Accessed: Dec. 6 2017.

Vernacular names
Deutsch: Scheinastern
English: Ironweeds
suomi: Vernoniat

Vernonia is a genus of about 350 species of forbs and shrubs in the family Asteraceae.[2] Some species are known as ironweed. Some species are edible and of economic value. They are known for having intense purple flowers. The genus is named for the English botanist William Vernon. There have been numerous distinct subgenera and subsections named in this genus, and some botanists have divided the genus into several distinct genera.[3][2] For instance, the Flora of North America recognizes only about twenty species in Vernonia sensu stricto, seventeen of which are in North America north of Mexico, with the others being found in South America.[4]

Species
Main article: List of Vernonia species
Vernonia altissima
Vernonia capensis
Vernonia galamensis

Species of this genus are found in South America, Africa, Southeast Asia, and North America. Vernonia species are well known for hybridizing between similar species in areas of overlapping ranges. There are approximately 350 species in the genus.[2] A selected list is given below.
North America

Vernonia acaulis
Vernonia arkansana
Vernonia angustifolia
Vernonia baldwinii
Vernonia blodgettii
Vernonia fasciculata
Vernonia flaccidifolia
Vernonia gigantea or Vernonia altissima[5]
Vernonia glauca
Vernonia larseniae
Vernonia lettermannii
Vernonia lindheimeri
Vernonia marginata
Vernonia missurica
Vernonia noveboracensis
Vernonia proctorii
Vernonia pulchella
Vernonia texana

South America

Vernonia nonoensis
Vernonia patens
Vernonia scorpioides
Vernonia condensata

Africa

Vernonia amygdalina
Vernonia calvoana
Vernonia colorata
Vernonia galamensis
Vernonia kotschyana
Vernonia staehelinoides
Vernonia cineria
vernonia myriantha

Asia

Vernonia arborea
Vernonia cockburniana
Vernonia elaeagnifolia
Vernonia unicata
Vernonia zollingerianoides

Uses

Several species of Vernonia, including V. calvoana, V. amygdalina, and V. colorata, are eaten as leaf vegetables. Common names for these species include bitterleaf, onugbu in the Igbo language, ewuro and ndole. They are common in most West African and Central African countries. They are one of the most widely consumed leaf vegetables of Nigeria, where the onugbu soup is a local delicacy of the Igbo people, and of Cameroon, where they are a key ingredient of Ndolé: the national dish of Cameroon.[6] The leaves have a sweet and bitter taste. They are sold fresh or dried and are a typical ingredient in egusi soup.

Vernonia galamensis is used as an oilseed in East Africa. It is grown in many parts of Ethiopia, especially around the city of Harar, with an average seed yield of 2 to 2.5 t/ha. It is reported that the Ethiopian strains of Vernonia have the highest oil content, up to 41.9% with up to 80% vernolic acid, and is used in paint formulations, coatings plasticizers, and as a reagent for many industrial chemicals.[7]

Vernonia amygdalina is used in traditional herbal medicine. These leaves are exported from several African countries and can be purchased in grocery stores aiming to serve African clients. In Brazil, V. condensata is commonly known as "figatil" or "necroton" and used in local traditional medicine.[8]

Ecology
Ceratina bee on Vernonia cinerea at Ananthagiri Hills, in Ranga Reddy district of Andhra Pradesh, India
Psyche (Leptosia nina) on an ash fleabane or little ironweed (Vernonia cinerea) in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.

Vernonia species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Coleophora vernoniaeella (which feeds exclusively on the genus) and Schinia regia (which feeds exclusively on V. texana).
References

Flann, C (ed) 2009+ Global Compositae Checklist
"Vernonia Schreb". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanical Gardens Kew. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
Harold Robinson (1999). "Generic and Subtribal Classification of American Vernonieae" (PDF). Smithsonian Contributions to Botany. 89. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
Flora of North America: Vernonia
Flora of North America: Vernonia gigantea
Veronia calvoana, Plant Encyclopedia
"Alamata Pilot Learning Site Diagnosis and Program Design" Archived July 26, 2011, at the Wayback Machine IPMS Information Resources Portal - Ethiopia (23 June 2005), p. 12 (accessed 3 March 2009)
Jucélia Barbosa da Silva; Vanessa dos Santos Temponi; Carolina Miranda Gasparetto; et al. (2013). "Vernonia condensata Baker (Asteraceae): A Promising Source of Antioxidants". Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity. Article ID 698018: 1–9. doi:10.1155/2013/698018. PMC 3893806. PMID 24489987.