Swertia is a genus in the gentian family containing plants sometimes referred to as the felworts. Some species bear very showy purple and blue flowers. Many members of this genus have medicinal and cultural purposes.
Plants of genus Frasera are sometimes considered part of this genus, sometimes as a separate genus, and sometimes as synonymous.
Selected species According to Plants of the World Online, the genus has 165 species. Species in the genus Swertia include, but are not limited to:
Swertia angustifolia Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don Swertia bimaculata (Siebold & Zucc.) C. B. Clarke Swertia bimaculata (Siebold & Zucc.) Hook. f. & Thoms. Swertia calcicola Kerr. Swertia chinensis (Griseb.) Franch. Swertia diluta (Turcz.) Benth. & Hook. f. Swertia chirayita (Roxb. ex Fleming) H. Karst. Swertia chirata (Wall.) C. B. Clarke Swertia ciliata (D. Don ex G. Don) B. L. Burtt. Swertia cordata (Wall. ex G. Don) C.B. Clarke Swertia dilatata C. B. Clarke Swertia hookeri C. B. Clarke Swertia japonica (Roem. & Schult.) (Makino) (known by the common names Japanese felwort and Japanese star swertia.) Swertia leduci Franch. Swertia mileensis T. N. Ho & W. L. Shih Swertia macrosperma C. B. Clarke Swertia multicaulis D. Don Swertia nervosa (G. Don) C. B. Clarke Swertia perennis L. Swertia pseudochinensis H.Hara Swertia punicea Hemsl. Swertia purpurascens (D. Don) A. Wall ex E. D. Clarke Swertia striata Collett & Hemsl. Swertia tashiroi (Maxim.) Makino Swertia tetrapetala Pall. Swertia tibetica Batal. Swertia tongluensis Burkill Swertia tozanensis Hayata Swertia trichotoma Wight ex C.B.Clarke Swertia uniflora Mildbr. Swertia usambarensis Engl. Swertia veratroides Maxim. ex Kom. Swertia verticillifolia T.N.Ho & S.W.Liu Swertia virescens Harry Sm. Swertia volkensii Gilg Swertia wardii C.Marquand Swertia wattii C.B.Clarke Swertia welwitschii Engl. Swertia wolfgangiana Grüning Swertia woodii J.Shah Swertia yezo-alpina H.Hara Swertia younghusbandii Burkill Swertia yunnanensis Burkill Swertia zayuensis T.N.Ho & S.W.Liu Swertia zeylanica (Griseb.) Walker ex C.B.Clarke
Chemical constituents Swertia contains the chemicals sawertiamarine, mangeferin and amarogenitineJournal of Ethnopharmacology 98 (2005) 31–35 1,5,8-trihydroxy-3-methoxyxanthone, 1-hydroxy-2,3,5,7-tetramethoxyxanthone, 1-hydroxy-3,5,8-trimethoxyxanthone, 1-hydroxyl-2,3,4,6-tetramethoxyxanthone, 1-hydroxy-2,3,4,7-tetramethoxyxanthone, 1,8-dihydroxy-3,5-dimethoxyxanthone, 1,7-dihydroxy-3,8-dimethoxyxanthone, 1,3,5,8-tetrahydroxyxanthone, balanophonin, oleanolic acid, maslinic acid, and sumaresinolic acid. Swerilactones from Swertia mileensis showed anti-hepatitis B virus activity in vitro.
Traditional medicine Swertia is used in Indian Ayurvedic Herbal System to cure Fever as in Laghu sudarshana churna, Maha sudarshan Churna and in Tibetan folk medicine.Variation of active constituents of an important Tibet folk medicine Huiling Yang, Chenxu Ding, Yuanwen Duan, Jianquan Liu It is also one of the most widely used medicinal plants of Sikkim, and is considered Vulnerable based on IUCN CAMP Criteria.
References
External links
Jepson Manual Treatment Picture of Swertia perennis