Withania is a genus of in the nightshade family, Solanaceae, with 19[ to 23 species that are native to parts of North Africa, western Asia, south Asia, southern Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Canary Islands.]
Two of the species, W. somnifera (ashwagandha) and W. coagulans (ashutosh booti), are economically significant, and are cultivated in several regions for their medicinal uses.[
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Etymology
Withania is thought to have been named in honour of Henry Witham, a British geologist and writer on fossil botany beginning in 1830.
Species
19 species are accepted.[
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Withania adpressa Coss. ex Batt.
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Withania adunensis Vierh.
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Withania aristata
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Withania chamaesarachoides
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Withania coagulans (Stocks) Dunal — ashutosh booti, Indian rennet, panirband, vegetable rennet
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Withania echinata
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Withania frutescens (L.) Pauquy
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Withania grisea
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Withania heterophylla
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Withania japonica (Franch. & Sav.) Hunz.
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Withania kweichouensis
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Withania qaraitica A.G.Mill. & Biagi
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Withania reichenbachii Bitter
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Withania riebeckii Schweinf.
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Withania sinensis
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Withania sinica
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Withania somnifera (Carl Linnaeus) Dunal (synonym Withania chevalieri A.E.Gonç.) — ashwaganda, Indian ginseng, winter cherry
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Withania sphaerocarpa Hepper & Boulos
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Withania yunnanensis
