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Taxon:  Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal



Summary
Genus:
Withania
Family:
Solanaceae
Subfamily:
Solanoideae
Tribe:
Physaleae
Subtribe:
Withaninae
Nomen number:
102407
Place of publication:
A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 13(1):453. 1852
Verified:
11/07/1985 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
0 (0  active, 0  available) in National Plant Germplasm System. 
Other conspecific taxa
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Basionym
Physalis somnifera L.

No images


Reference(s)
  1. Aldén, B., S. Ryman & M. Hjertson. Våra kulturväxters namn - ursprung och användning. Formas, Stockholm (Handbook on Swedish cultivated and utility plants, their names and origin). 2009
  2. Anjaria, J. V. 1989. Herbal Drugs: Potential for industry and cash. In: G. E. Wickens et al., New crops for food and industry. New crops for food and industry. 1989 91.
  3. Arechavaleta, M. et al., eds. Lista preliminar de especies silvestres de Cabo Verde: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres. 2005
  4. Babu, C. R. Herbaceous flora of Dehra Dun. 1977
  5. Chopra, D. & D. Simon. The Chopra Center herbal handbook: forty natural prescriptions for perfect health. 2000
  6. Cufodontis, G. Enumeratio plantarum aethiopiae: Spermatophyta. 1953-1972
  7. Davis, P. H., ed. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands. 1965-1988
  8. Duke, J. A. et al. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs. 2002
  9. Exell, A. W. et al., eds. Flora zambesiaca. 1960-
  10. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
  11. Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14. 2003
  12. Ghazanfar, S. A. An annotated catalogue of the vascular plants of Oman. Scripta Botanica Belgica 2. 1992
  13. Grellin, J. K. & J. Philpott. A reference guide to medicinal plants. 1990
  14. Hansen, A. & P. Sunding. Flora of Macaronesia: checklist of vascular plants, ed. 4. Sommerfeltia vol. 17. 1993
  15. Izquierdo Z., I. et al., eds. Lista de especies silvestres de Canarias: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres. 2004
  16. Janick, J. & J. Simon, eds. Advances in new crops. 1990
  17. Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2. 1953-1972
  18. Mabberley, D. J. The plant-book: a portable dictionary of the vascular plants, ed. 2. 1997
  19. McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2. 2000
  20. McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2. 2000
  21. Meikle, R. D. Flora of Cyprus. 1977-1985
  22. Migahid, A. M. Flora of Saudi Arabia, ed. 3. 1988-1990
  23. Mills, S. & K. Bone. Principles and practice of phytotherapy: modern herbal medicine. 1999
  24. Mouterde, P. Nouvelle flore du Liban et de la Syrie. 1966-
  25. Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. Flora of [West] Pakistan. 1970-
  26. Parrotta, J. A. Healing plants of peninsular India. 2001
  27. Peirce, A. The American Pharmaceutical Association practical guide to natural medicines. 1999
  28. Rechinger, K. H., ed. Flora iranica. 1963-
  29. Tirtha, SadaShiva. The Ayurveda encyclopedia: Natural secrets to healing, prevention, and longevity. 1998
  30. Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. Flora europaea. 1964-1980
  31. Van Wyk, B.-E. & M. Wink. Medicinal plants of the world. 2004
  32. Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. World economic plants: a standard reference (on-line edition) [medicinal plants only].
  33. Wood, J. R. I. A handbook of the flora of Yemen. 1997
  34. Zohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan. Flora palaestina. 1966-
Common names
English
winter-cherry –
India
ashwagandha –
Swedish
withania –
Distribution
Native
Africa
  • EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
  • MACARONESIA: Cabo Verde, Spain [Canary Islands]
  • NORTHEAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, Chad
  • NORTHERN AFRICA: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia
  • SOUTH TROPICAL AFRICA: Angola, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe
  • SOUTHERN AFRICA: Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Eswatini, South Africa [Cape Province, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Transvaal]
  • WEST TROPICAL AFRICA: Liberia, Mali, Nigeria
  • WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN: Mauritius
Asia-Temperate
  • ARABIAN PENINSULA: Oman, Saudi Arabia, Yemen
  • WESTERN ASIA: Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey
Asia-Tropical
  • INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan
Europe
  • SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE: Greece, Italy [Sardinia, Sicily]
  • SOUTHWESTERN EUROPE: Spain
Naturalized ()
Economic Uses
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2025. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://ausgenebank.agriculture.vic.gov.au/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=102407. Accessed 15 March 2025.

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