Iphigenia is a flowering plant in the family Colchicaceae. It was described by Kunth.Kunth KS, Enumeratio Plantarum Omnium Hucusque Cognitarum, vol. 4, p. 212. 1843 It consists of about 14 species distributed from tropical Africa, over Madagascar and India to Australia. As with other taxa in Colchicaceae Iphigenia contains phenethylisoquinoline alkaloids including colchicine.Vinnersten A & Larsson S, Colchicine is still a chemical marker for the expanded Colchicaceae. Biochem. Syst. Ecol. 38: 1193, 2010.Larsson S & Rønsted N, Reviewing Colchicaceae alkaloids - perspectives of evolution on medicinal chemistry. Curr. Topics Med. Chem. 14: 274, 2014
Taxonomy The genus name of Iphigenia is in reference to Iphigenia, the Greek mythological character, who was a daughter of King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra, and such was a princess of Mycenae.
Species , Plants of the World Online accepted the following species: African species Iphigenia oliveri Engl. Iphigenia pauciflora Martelli
Madagascan species Iphigenia boinensis H.Perrier Iphigenia robusta Baker
Arabian species Iphigenia socotrana Thulin
Indian species Iphigenia devrukhensis Iphigenia indica (L.) A.Gray ex Kunth - range extending to China, New Guinea + Australia Iphigenia magnifica Ansari & R.S.Rao Iphigenia mysorensis Arekal & S.N.Ramaswamy Iphigenia pallida Baker Iphigenia ratnagirica Iphigenia sahyadrica Ansari & R.S.Rao Iphigenia stellata Blatt.
Australian species Iphigenia brevis Jian Wang ter
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