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A
- accepted name
An accepted name depends both on the rules of nomenclature, such as priority of publication, and on the taxonomic opinion followed by each reference database, so two databases may disagree for a time. Internationally, the most widely consulted references are Plants of the World Online and World Flora Online, while Flora e Funga do Brasil is the standard source for species native to Brazil.
See also: scientific name, synonym
Source: World Flora Online
- alkaloid
Most alkaloids contain nitrogen within a heterocyclic ring and are derived from amino acids. Caffeine, morphine, nicotine, and quinine are well-known examples. Many are biologically active in small amounts and some are toxic, which makes correct plant identification and caution in use indispensable. Properties vary widely from compound to compound.
See also: glycoside, phytochemical
Source: Pharmacognosy (Trease and Evans)
- annual
In botany, an annual is a plant that goes from germination to seed production and death within one year at most, often in just a few months. The species persists through its seeds, which survive the unfavorable season in the soil. Many arable weeds and leafy vegetables are annuals. Some warm-climate perennials are grown as annuals where winters are harsh, which reflects cultivation practice rather than the biology of the plant.
Source: standard botanical glossary
- anthocyanin
Anthocyanins are glycosides of anthocyanidins such as cyanidin, delphinidin, and malvidin, and they are dissolved in the cell vacuole. Their color shifts with acidity, tending toward red at low pH and toward blue or green at higher pH, which allows extracts rich in these pigments to be used as pH indicators. They are sensitive to heat, light, and oxygen, which affects the color of extracts and foods during preparation and storage.
See also: carotenoid, flavonoid, glycoside
Source: Pharmacognosy (Trease and Evans)
- aromatic
In botany, an aromatic plant produces and accumulates volatile odorous substances, mainly terpenes and phenylpropanoids, which make up essential oils. These compounds are held in specialized structures, such as oil cavities in fruit peel, canals in stems and roots or glandular trichomes on leaves, and are released when the tissue is crushed or heated. Families such as Apiaceae, Lamiaceae and Myrtaceae include many aromatic species. In organic chemistry, aromatic has an unrelated meaning tied to ring structures like benzene, with no connection to smell.
See also: herbaceous, inflorescence
Source: economic botany terminology
B
- basionym
When a species is transferred to another genus, its original epithet is usually kept and combined with the new genus name, creating a new combination. The original name is then called the basionym, and its author is cited in parentheses in the new name. In Picea abies (L.) H.Karst., for example, the basionym is Pinus abies L., described by Linnaeus.
See also: accepted name, synonym
Source: International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN)
- biennial
A biennial spends its first year in vegetative growth, often as a rosette of leaves close to the ground with a root that stores reserves. In the second year it sends up a flowering stem, sets seed and dies. In several species flowering requires a period of cold, a process called vernalization. Where winters are mild or absent, some biennials behave as annuals or live longer than two years.
Source: standard botanical glossary
C
- capsule
Hard capsules hold powders or dry extracts, while soft capsules usually contain liquids or oils. The shell protects the contents and makes unpleasant flavors easier to swallow, and the choice between animal gelatin and plant cellulose matters to people who follow a vegetarian diet. In botany the same word means something else entirely: a dry dehiscent fruit that splits open on its own to release its seeds, unrelated to the dosage form.
Source: European Pharmacopoeia
- carotenoid
Carotenoids are forty-carbon tetraterpenoids divided into carotenes, made only of carbon and hydrogen, such as alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and lycopene, and xanthophylls, which contain oxygen, such as lutein and zeaxanthin. In green leaves their color is masked by chlorophyll and shows when the chlorophyll breaks down. Some carotenoids are precursors of vitamin A in the human body, and the properties studied vary from compound to compound.
See also: anthocyanin, terpenoid
Source: Pharmacognosy (Trease and Evans)
- climber
A climber has long, flexible stems that rise by leaning on other structures instead of investing in a self-supporting trunk. Attachment mechanisms vary and include clinging aerial roots, hooks or thorns, tendrils and stems that twine around the support. Climbers may be herbaceous or woody, and the woody climbers of tropical forests are known as lianas.
See also: herbaceous, shrub
Source: plant morphology terminology
- clinical trial
Clinical trials progress through successive phases, from small groups focused on safety to large efficacy studies. The most rigorous design is the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, in which participants are randomly assigned to groups and neither they nor the researchers know who receives the intervention and who receives the placebo. Short, small or uncontrolled trials yield less reliable results, and replication by independent teams adds weight to the conclusions.
See also: in vitro, scientific evidence
Source: ICH E6 Good Clinical Practice guideline
- compress
In herbal practice, a compress is a form of external application in which fabric absorbs a liquid preparation and is held against the area for a while. It differs from a poultice because it carries only the liquid obtained from the plant, not the plant mass. Temperature is part of the technique, and hot compresses call for care to avoid burns, especially in children, older adults and people with reduced skin sensation.
See also: decoction, infusion, poultice
Source: standard pharmacognosy glossary
- contraindication
Contraindications may be absolute, when use should be avoided in every case, or relative, when use calls for careful assessment and monitoring. Age group, breastfeeding, concurrent use of other medicines, known allergies and pregnancy are among the circumstances listed most often. The hyphenated spelling contra-indication still appears in some British texts, but contraindication is now the standard form in international pharmacological usage.
See also: drug interaction, side effect
Source: standard pharmacological glossary
- coumarin
The class includes simple coumarins, furanocoumarins, and pyranocoumarins, with examples such as coumarin itself, psoralen, scopoletin, and umbelliferone. They are common in families such as Apiaceae, Fabaceae, and Rutaceae. Some furanocoumarins cause skin reactions on exposure to sunlight, and natural coumarin should not be confused with coumarin anticoagulants such as warfarin, which are modified synthetic molecules.
See also: glycoside, phytochemical
Source: Pharmacognosy, Phytochemistry, Medicinal Plants (Bruneton)
- cultivar
The word is a contraction of cultivated variety, and cultivar names are governed by the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants. Unlike a botanical variety, a cultivar arises from controlled propagation, hybridization, or selection and persists only with human intervention, through controlled seed production, cuttings, or grafting. Cultivars of the same species can differ in aroma, color, and compound content.
Source: International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants (ICNCP)
D
- deciduous
A deciduous plant sheds its foliage seasonally and spends a period leafless, which reduces water loss and cold damage. The opposite is an evergreen plant, which keeps its leaves all year and replaces them gradually. Semi-deciduous plants lose only part of their foliage. The idea of falling after fulfilling a function also extends to other structures, such as sepals or stipules, which botanists then describe as caducous.
Source: standard botanical glossary
- decoction
Decoction is used when the constituents of plant material are not readily released by contact with hot water alone, as with bark, roots, seeds and woody stems. The material is placed in the water, kept at a boil and then strained, and the resulting liquid is also called a decoction. Compared with an infusion, boiling the material together with the water draws out more resistant compounds but can degrade heat-sensitive substances.
Source: standard pharmacognosy glossary
- dosage
The dosage of a product is stated on its label or package leaflet and often varies with age, body weight and the condition of the user. EMA documents call the same concept posology. Everyday English often uses dosage loosely for dose, although strictly the dose is a single amount and the dosage is the whole regimen. In herbal medicine, a dosage applies only to the preparation described and cannot be carried over to another form or strength of the same plant.
See also: dose
Source: standard pharmacological glossary
- dose
In pharmacology, the dose is the amount taken on each occasion, while the dosage regimen describes the full pattern of use, including duration and frequency. For plant preparations, the dose depends on the concentration of the extract, the dosage form and the plant part used, so figures for one preparation do not transfer to another. The margin between an effective dose and one that causes toxic effects varies from substance to substance, which makes dose one of the main factors in safety.
Source: standard pharmacological glossary
- drug interaction
An interaction can increase, modify or reduce the expected effect, and it sometimes produces new effects. It occurs through pharmacokinetic mechanisms, when one substance alters the absorption, elimination or metabolism of another, or through pharmacodynamic mechanisms, when both act on the same targets in the body. Plant preparations contain several active constituents and can interact with conventional medicines, which makes it relevant to disclose every product in use.
See also: contraindication, side effect
Source: standard pharmacological glossary
E
- endemic
An endemic species occurs naturally only within a defined area, which may be as large as a country or biome or as small as a single mountaintop. Every endemic species is native to its region, but not every native species is endemic. Endemism is common in isolated settings such as islands and mountains, and species with very restricted ranges tend to be more vulnerable to habitat loss. An endemic plant grown elsewhere remains endemic to its region of origin.
See also: native, naturalized
Source: phytogeography terminology
- essential oil
Essential oils consist mainly of monoterpenes, phenylpropanoids, and sesquiterpenes, stored in ducts, glandular hairs, and secretory cavities of bark, flowers, fruits, and leaves. Despite the name, they are not fats and evaporate without leaving a grease mark. Composition changes with chemotype, extraction method, and species. Because they are concentrated, several components can irritate the skin or be toxic if swallowed, so internal use should not take place without professional guidance.
See also: phytochemical, terpenoid
Source: Pharmacognosy (Trease and Evans)
- extract
Subtypes are defined by solvent and degree of concentration. An aqueous extract uses water only. A hydroalcoholic extract, made with a mixture of water and ethanol, contains alcohol, as does a fluid extract, a concentrated liquid that usually relies on the same solvent. A dry extract results from removing all the solvent and takes the form of a powder, while a standardized extract contains a defined level of one or more chemical markers, which allows batches to be compared.
Source: European Pharmacopoeia
F
- flavonoid
The basic skeleton has fifteen carbons arranged as two aromatic rings joined by a central heterocyclic ring. Subgroups include anthocyanidins, flavan-3-ols, flavanones, flavones, and flavonols, with well-known examples such as apigenin, catechin, kaempferol, and quercetin. In plants, flavonoids contribute to pigmentation and ultraviolet screening. They are widely studied in pharmacological research, and properties vary from compound to compound.
See also: anthocyanin, phytochemical, tannin
Source: Pharmacognosy (Trease and Evans)
G
- genus
The genus sits between family and species. Its name is a Latinized noun, written with an initial capital and in italics, and it forms the first part of every species binomial. Plants in the same genus tend to share morphological traits but can differ widely in chemical composition, so identification to species level remains necessary.
See also: plant family, scientific name, species
Source: International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN)
- glycoside
The aglycone defines the type of glycoside, so the literature speaks of anthraquinone, cyanogenic, flavonoid, and phenolic glycosides, among others. Binding to a sugar usually makes a compound more water-soluble, and hydrolysis releases the aglycone. Amygdalin, rutin, and salicin are well-known examples. Strictly speaking, glucoside refers only to glycosides whose sugar is glucose.
See also: anthocyanin, flavonoid, saponin
Source: Pharmacognosy, Phytochemistry, Medicinal Plants (Bruneton)
H
- herbaceous
A herbaceous plant keeps its stems soft, with little lignin deposited in them, unlike shrubs and trees, which produce wood. The aerial parts are usually low-growing and, in perennial species, may die back and regrow from underground organs. The term refers to texture rather than lifespan, since herbaceous plants can be annual, biennial or perennial. It also applies to plant parts, such as the young, not yet lignified shoots of a woody species.
See also: climber, perennial, shrub
Source: plant morphology terminology
- herbal medicinal product
European Union law, which shapes much of the English terminology, provides two simplified routes alongside the full marketing authorization. Products with well-established medicinal use rely on published data on safety and efficacy, while traditional herbal medicinal products rely on long-standing use documented in the literature. Brazil's ANVISA follows a comparable two-tier model. Both routes require quality control and authorization or registration. The term should not be confused with a fresh medicinal plant that has undergone no pharmaceutical processing.
See also: medicinal plant, phytotherapy, traditional use
Source: Directive 2001/83/EC as amended by Directive 2004/24/EC
- herbarium
Each specimen is mounted on a sheet with a label giving the collector, date, identification, and locality. Herbaria also hold type specimens, which fix the application of each scientific name. In medicinal plant research, depositing a voucher specimen of the plant studied allows its identification to be checked later. In Brazil, the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden holds one of the largest collections in the country.
See also: scientific name, species, taxon
Source: standard botanical glossary
I
- in vitro
In vitro studies sit at the base of the hierarchy of scientific evidence. They allow mechanisms to be tested quickly and cheaply, but the concentrations used and the isolated setting rarely reproduce what happens in the body, where absorption, elimination and metabolism take place. An in vitro result is therefore a starting point for research, not a demonstration of an effect in people. The opposite term, in vivo, refers to studies in living organisms, whether animals or humans.
See also: clinical trial, scientific evidence
Source: standard evidence-based medicine glossary
- inflorescence
An inflorescence is the way flowers are arranged on a plant when they do not appear singly. The stalk that supports the whole cluster is the peduncle, and the axis that bears the flowers is the rachis. Types differ in the order in which the flowers open and in overall shape, as in the head, which gathers many small flowers on a receptacle and looks like a single flower, the raceme, the spike and the umbel, whose pedicels all arise from one point. Inflorescence type is one of the characters used to identify plant families.
See also: aromatic, herbaceous
Source: plant identification terminology
- infusion
Herbal practice generally reserves infusion for delicate plant parts such as flowers and leaves, whose aromatic and volatile constituents would be lost through prolonged boiling. It differs from a decoction because the material is not boiled together with the water, and from maceration because it relies on heat. Keeping the vessel covered while it stands limits the escape of volatile compounds with the steam. The result is commonly called a tea or tisane.
See also: decoction, maceration, tea
Source: standard pharmacognosy glossary
- invasive
In ecology, an invasive species is a naturalized non-native that spreads far from its points of introduction and causes harm, such as competition with native plants, changes to soil or fire regimes and losses in agriculture. Invasion is the most advanced stage of a process that begins with introduction and passes through naturalization, and not every naturalized species reaches it. In farming, the related notion of a weed covers any unwanted plant in a crop, even a native one, which does not match the ecological sense.
See also: native, naturalized
Source: invasion ecology terminology
L
- lignan
Lignans arise from the same metabolic pathway that produces lignin, the polymer that gives wood its rigidity, but they are small molecules and should not be confused with it. Matairesinol, pinoresinol, podophyllotoxin, and secoisolariciresinol are well-known examples. Some lignans are converted by gut bacteria into compounds called enterolignans, and the properties studied vary from compound to compound.
See also: flavonoid, phytochemical
Source: Pharmacognosy, Phytochemistry, Medicinal Plants (Bruneton)
M
- maceration
Maceration can use alcohol, vegetable oil, vinegar or water as the extracting liquid, known as the menstruum, and the product is called a macerate. Because no heat is applied, it preserves substances that would break down during infusion or decoction. Water-based macerates spoil easily, since room temperature favors microbial growth. In pharmaceutical practice, maceration in alcohol is one of the classic methods for making tinctures.
See also: extract, infusion, tincture
Source: European Pharmacopoeia
- medicinal plant
Under the World Health Organization definition, a medicinal plant is a species used for therapeutic purposes, whether fresh or dried. The term describes how a plant is used and says nothing on its own about efficacy or safety. A single species may have parts with different uses as well as toxic parts, and identification by scientific name avoids confusion between plants with similar common names. Dried, stabilized plant material is called an herbal substance or herbal drug, and only the finished, authorized product made from it is an herbal medicinal product.
See also: herbal medicinal product, phytotherapy, toxicity
Source: WHO guidelines on herbal medicines
- monograph
In herbal product regulation, the most widely cited monographs come from the Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC) of the European Medicines Agency, which classifies each indication as well-established use or traditional use. The World Health Organization and national agencies such as ANVISA also publish monographs, which usually cover botanical identification, contraindications, dosage, interactions and warnings. They differ from pharmacopoeial monographs, which focus on quality control of the raw material.
See also: pharmacopoeia, traditional use
Source: EMA/HMPC European Union herbal monographs
- mucilage
Mucilages are produced by specialized cells or layers, such as the outer coat of certain seeds, and differ from gums in being normal plant constituents, whereas gums usually form as exudates after injury. In pharmacognosy, the swelling index measures how much a plant material swells in water. The viscous texture shows up readily in infusions and cold macerations.
See also: glycoside, polysaccharide
Source: Pharmacognosy (Trease and Evans)
N
- native
A species is native, or indigenous, to a region when it belongs to the local flora through natural processes of evolution and dispersal, without being transported by people. The concept is always relative to an area, and the same plant can be native to one continent and introduced on another. Native does not mean exclusive, since a species native to Brazil may also occur in neighboring countries. When the natural range is restricted to a single area, the term endemic applies.
See also: endemic, invasive, naturalized
Source: phytogeography terminology
- naturalized
A naturalized species is a non-native plant, moved from its area of origin by human activity, that establishes itself outside cultivation and completes its life cycle unaided, forming populations that persist over several generations. It differs from a merely cultivated species, which does not survive without care, and from a native one, which reached the region by natural means. Not every naturalized species is invasive, a term reserved for those that spread widely and alter the habitats they occupy.
Source: invasion ecology terminology
P
- perennial
A perennial plant lives for more than two years. In many species the aerial parts die back in winter or in the dry season, while bulbs, rhizomes or roots survive underground and resprout when conditions improve. Most shrubs and all trees are woody perennials, but many herbaceous perennials also exist. The term contrasts with annual and biennial, two categories of plants that die after fruiting a single time.
See also: annual, biennial, herbaceous
Source: standard botanical glossary
- pharmacopoeia
Countries and regions publish their own, such as the Brazilian Pharmacopoeia, the British Pharmacopoeia, the European Pharmacopoeia and the United States Pharmacopeia, which keeps the shorter American spelling. For medicinal plants, pharmacopoeial monographs describe botanical characteristics, contaminant limits, identification tests and minimum marker content, which makes it possible to tell authentic material from adulterated material.
See also: medicinal plant, monograph
Source: European Pharmacopoeia
- phytochemical
The term covers substances plants produce to interact with their environment, including aromas, pigments, and defense molecules against herbivores and microorganisms. Concentrations vary with climate, harvest time, plant part, soil, and species. Many phytochemical classes are studied in pharmacological research, but properties differ from compound to compound and depend on how the plant material is prepared.
See also: alkaloid, flavonoid, terpenoid
Source: Pharmacognosy (Trease and Evans)
- phytotherapy
Phytotherapy, also known as herbal medicine, falls within the World Health Organization's framework for traditional and complementary medicine, and several countries, Brazil among them, have national policies covering it. The concept spans everything from home preparations to licensed, commercially manufactured medicines. It differs from homeopathy, which follows other principles, and from the pharmacology of isolated compounds, because it works with the full set of constituents of the plant or its extracts.
See also: herbal medicinal product, medicinal plant
Source: WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy
- plant family
In the botanical hierarchy, the family sits between order and genus. Family names end in -aceae, and the nomenclature code allows a few traditional names as alternatives, such as Compositae for Asteraceae and Labiatae for Lamiaceae. Knowing the family helps reveal kinship and shared chemistry between plants, but species in the same family do not necessarily share the same uses or risks.
See also: genus, species, taxon
Source: International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN)
- polysaccharide
In plants, polysaccharides serve either as energy reserves, as starch and inulin do, or as structural components of the cell wall, like cellulose, hemicelluloses, and pectin. Gums and mucilages also belong to this group and account for the viscous texture of some aqueous extracts. They are studied in nutritional and pharmacological research, and properties vary with chain length and the sugars involved.
Source: Pharmacognosy (Trease and Evans)
- poultice
In folk practice, a poultice is made by cooking, grating or mashing plant material into a moist mass, sometimes bound with clay or flour. Application is always external, either directly on the skin or with a thin cloth in between. It differs from a compress because it uses the plant mass itself rather than a liquid soaked into fabric. Some plants irritate the skin, so skin tolerance is an inherent concern with this kind of preparation.
See also: compress
Source: standard pharmacognosy glossary
- powder
In pharmaceutical practice, herbal powder is obtained by drying and grinding the material, sometimes followed by sieving to sort the particles by size. Unlike a dry extract, a powder contains the whole plant material with no solvent separation, so its composition follows that of the source plant. Air, light and moisture speed up degradation, which is why storage in a tightly closed container is part of quality control.
Source: European Pharmacopoeia
R
- rhizome
Although it looks like a root, a rhizome is a modified stem, with nodes, internodes, scale-like leaves and buds, structures that roots lack. It stores starch and other reserves, which lets the plant survive unfavorable periods and spread vegetatively, since any fragment bearing a bud can give rise to a new individual. Rhizomes are common in herbaceous perennials and differ from stolons, which run along the soil surface, and from tubers, which are rounded storage stems.
See also: herbaceous, perennial
Source: plant morphology terminology
S
- saponin
The name comes from the Latin sapo, soap, because of a surfactant action similar to that of detergents. Saponins are divided into triterpenoid saponins, common in dicots, and steroidal saponins, frequent in monocots. Dioscin, whose aglycone is diosgenin, and glycyrrhizin are well-studied examples. Some saponins irritate mucous membranes and are toxic to fish, which calls for caution in use.
See also: glycoside, terpenoid
Source: Pharmacognosy, Phytochemistry, Medicinal Plants (Bruneton)
- scientific evidence
Evidence-based medicine ranks studies in a hierarchy. In vitro results are the most preliminary, followed by animal studies, clinical trials in humans and, at the top, systematic reviews that pool several trials. An effect observed in cells or animals points to a direction for research but does not show that it occurs in people. The term clinical evidence is limited to data obtained in human subjects.
See also: clinical trial, in vitro, traditional use
Source: standard evidence-based medicine glossary
- scientific name
Binomial nomenclature was established by Linnaeus in Species Plantarum (1753), the formal starting point of botanical nomenclature. The full name may include the abbreviated name of the author who described the species, as in Melissa officinalis L., where L. stands for Linnaeus. Unlike common names, which vary from region to region, the scientific name is unique and pins down exactly which plant is meant.
See also: accepted name, genus, species
Source: International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN)
- shrub
A shrub is a woody perennial that rarely exceeds a few meters in height and branches near the ground into several stems of similar thickness. The line between shrub and tree, which has a single defined trunk, is a practical one and allows intermediate forms such as the treelet. A subshrub, by contrast, is woody only at the base, with herbaceous upper shoots. The adjective shrubby describes this growth habit and also vegetation dominated by shrubs.
See also: climber, herbaceous, perennial
Source: plant morphology terminology
- side effect
In pharmacology, a side effect is any secondary effect linked to the properties of a substance, even when it causes no harm. Adverse reaction, or adverse drug reaction, is the pharmacovigilance term for a noxious and unintended response occurring at normally used doses. Every adverse reaction is unwanted, but not every side effect is adverse. Plant-derived products can also cause adverse reactions, and their natural origin does not make these any less relevant.
See also: contraindication, drug interaction, toxicity
Source: WHO definitions in pharmacovigilance
- species
In botany, a species is identified by its binomial, that is, the genus name followed by a lowercase specific epithet, as in Matricaria chamomilla. Species boundaries are not always agreed upon, and taxonomic revisions may split or merge species over time. In herbal medicine, correct identification is essential, because plants in the same genus can differ greatly in chemical makeup.
See also: genus, scientific name, subspecies
Source: International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN)
- subspecies
The subspecies name follows the binomial, preceded by subsp. or ssp., as in Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum. It usually designates populations that occupy distinct areas and show stable morphological differences, even though they can still interbreed with other populations of the same species. Among infraspecific ranks, it sits above variety.
Source: International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN)
- synonym
Synonymy arises when one plant receives more than one scientific name, either through independent descriptions or through transfer to another genus after taxonomic revision. Each classification accepts only one name, and the others are treated as synonyms. Databases such as Plants of the World Online and World Flora Online list these equivalences, which avoids confusion when comparing studies and labels that use different names.
See also: accepted name, basionym
Source: Plants of the World Online (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew)
- syrup
Sugar gives syrup its body, masks bitter flavors and helps preserve the product. In pharmacopoeias, simple syrup is a concentrated sucrose solution, and the medicinal version incorporates extracts or tinctures, in which case it may contain alcohol. Homemade recipes with honey or sugar keep for a shorter time. Sugar content matters to anyone monitoring carbohydrate intake, and honey is not suitable for infants under one year of age.
Source: United States Pharmacopeia
T
- tannin
Tannins fall into two main groups: hydrolyzable tannins, derived from ellagic and gallic acids, and condensed tannins, also called proanthocyanidins, built from flavan-3-ol units. Their ability to precipitate proteins explains their historical use in leather tanning and the dry, rough feel in the mouth from black tea or unripe fruit. In pharmacological research, properties vary by type and compound.
See also: flavonoid, phytochemical
Source: Pharmacognosy (Trease and Evans)
- taxon
The plural is taxa. The concept applies at every rank, from the broadest divisions down to categories below species, and it is the working unit of taxonomy and systematics. Expressions such as infraspecific taxon, used for subspecies and varieties, indicate where in the hierarchy a group sits.
See also: genus, plant family, species
Source: standard botanical glossary
- tea
In strict botanical and trade usage, tea means only preparations of Camellia sinensis, the plant behind black, green, oolong and white teas. Everyday English also applies the word to any herbal drink made with hot water, which technical texts call an infusion or a decoction depending on the method, or a tisane when no Camellia sinensis is involved. A product sold as "herbal tea" therefore rarely contains the tea plant itself.
Source: standard pharmacognosy glossary
- terpenoid
Terpenoids are classified by the number of isoprene units: monoterpenes have two, as in limonene and menthol, sesquiterpenes three, as in bisabolol and caryophyllene, diterpenes four, and triterpenes six. Strictly, terpene refers to the hydrocarbon and terpenoid includes oxygenated derivatives, but in practice the two terms are often used interchangeably. Carotenoids and triterpenoid saponins also belong to this large family.
See also: carotenoid, essential oil, saponin
Source: Pharmacognosy (Trease and Evans)
- tincture
Pharmacopoeias describe a tincture as an alcoholic or hydroalcoholic preparation obtained by maceration or percolation, with a defined ratio of plant material to solvent. Alcohol content is an essential characteristic of the product and matters to anyone who wants or needs to avoid alcohol, for whatever reason. Tinctures are usually less concentrated than fluid extracts, because they use more solvent for the same amount of plant material.
See also: extract, maceration
Source: European Pharmacopoeia
- toxicity
Toxicology distinguishes acute toxicity, which appears after a single or short exposure, from chronic toxicity, linked to repeated use over long periods. When the damage is concentrated in one body system, the term used is target organ toxicity. The principle that the dose makes the poison, attributed to Paracelsus, applies equally to plant-derived substances: being natural is not the same as being free of toxicity.
See also: dose, side effect
Source: standard toxicological glossary
- traditional use
Regulators such as the European Medicines Agency and Brazil's ANVISA accept traditional use as a basis for registering certain herbal products when continued use over decades is documented without serious safety concerns. This recognition shows a history of use and plausibility, but it is not the same as efficacy demonstrated in clinical trials. For this reason, products registered by this route state on the label that their indication is based exclusively on long-standing use.
See also: clinical trial, monograph, scientific evidence
Source: Directive 2004/24/EC (European Union)
V
- variety
Botanical variety is an infraspecific rank governed by the nomenclature code and, in principle, refers to populations that arise in the wild. It should not be confused with a cultivar, which designates plants selected and maintained through cultivation. In crop plants the rank also persists by tradition, as in Brassica oleracea var. capitata, the cabbage.
See also: cultivar, subspecies
Source: International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN)