Coptis

Three-bladed gold thread ( Coptis trifolia )

Called the genus Coptis, also called " golden thread ", belongs to the family of the buttercup family ( Ranunculaceae ). The distribution area of ​​about 10 to 15 species located in eastern Asia and North America. Some species are rarely used as ornamental plants, and the medical effect of many species was investigated.

Description

Appearance and leaves

Coptis species grow as perennial herbaceous plants. They form underground, branched, thin with diameters of 0.5 to 2 mm, yellow, orange to light brown rhizomes as outlasting and sometimes stolons.

There are some basal leaves present. The petiole is relatively long. The leaf blade is three to five sleek, one-to two times pinnate three-piece or one-to two-fold. The ovate to triangular leaflets are lobed to divided with sharp edges serrated or toothed.

Inflorescence and flowers

In one to several upright Blütenstandsschäften per plant are terminal, monochasiale, zymöse inflorescences, which only have a length of up to 3 inches, is extended to fruit maturity up to 9 inches and usually contain one to four flowers. Bracts are not available.

The relatively small flowers are radial symmetry. In Coptis trifoliata all flowers are hermaphrodite, but in the other species are next hermaphrodite flowers functionally male available. The usually five, rarely up to eight white or greenish - yellow, often kronblattartigen sepals are flat and at a length of 4.2 to 11 mm linear- lanceolate, wrong - lanceolate to obovate or elliptical; they are sometimes nailed. The five to ten or more free nailed petals are greenish and 2-7 millimeters long and flat or concave above. The petals are either clavate with a nectary at its tip or ruler with a nectary near its base. There are ten to 60 bald, fertile stamens present. The stamens are thin and the anthers are broadly elliptical. There are no staminodes present. The usually four to fifteen carpels each containing four to ten ovules. The durable stylus is short and curved back.

Fruit and seeds

In a umbel-like collecting fruit, up to 15 follicles together. The stalked, oblong to ellipsoid follicles often have a up to 4 mm long, straight or above hakigen beak. The light to dark brown, shiny seeds are ellipsoid and almost smooth, but often appear wrinkled.

Chromosomes

The basic chromosome number is x = 9

Systematics and distribution

The genus Coptis was established in 1807 by Richard Anthony Salisbury in Transactions of the Linnean Society of London, 8, pp. 305. As lectotype 1913 Coptis trifolia was (L.) Salisb. by N. L. Britton and A. Brown in Ill. Fl. N.U.S., 2nd edition. 2, pp. 88 set. The genus name Coptis is derived from the Greek word kopto for cutting and refers to the divided leaves.

The genus Coptis belongs to one tribe Coptideae the subfamily Coptidoideae within the Ranunculaceae family.

The genus Coptis occurs in eastern Asia and North America. In China, six species and four species are native to North America. Coptis species thrive in moderate to boreal zones of the northern hemisphere.

The genus Coptis contains about 10 to 15 species:

• Streifenfarnblättriger gold thread ( Coptis asplenifolia Salisb. ): He thrives in moist pine forests, seeps and marshes at altitudes 0-1500 meters in British Columbia, Alaska and Washington.
• Chinese gold thread ( Coptis chinensis Franch. ): The two varieties thrive in forests and shady locations in valleys at altitudes between 500 and 2000 meters in the Chinese provinces of southern Anhui, Fujian, northern Guangdong, northern Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, southern Shaanxi, Sichuan and Zhejiang.
• Coptis deltoidea CYCheng & PKHsiao: This endemic species thrives in forests at altitudes 1600-2000 in the western Sichuan Emei only in Xian and Xian Hongya.
• Japanese gold thread ( Coptis japonica ( Thunb. ) Makino, Syn: .. Coptis Sieb & Zucc anemonifolia, Coptis anemonifolia var dissecta Yatabe, Coptis Sieb & Zucc brachypetala, Coptis brachypetala var major Miq, Coptis japonica var anemonifolia. .. ( Sieb. & Zucc. ) H.Ohba, Coptis japonica var dissecta ( Yatabe ) Nakai ex Satake, Coptis japonica var major ( Miq. ) Satake, Coptis japonica f viridiflora Honda ex Kadota, Coptis occidentalis var japonica Huth, Coptis Maxim orientalis ). It comes in at least three varieties in Japan,.
• Coptis laciniata A. Gray: It thrives in moist forests, river banks, seeps and damp rock walls in the coastal mountains at altitudes between 500 and 2000 meters in California, Oregon and Washington.
• Coptis minamitaniana Kadota: It was described in 2004 and occurs only on the Japanese island of Kyushu.
• Coptis occidentalis ( Nutt. ) Torr. & A. Gray: It thrives in moist pine forests at elevations between 500 and 2000 meters in Idaho, Montana and Washington.
• Coptis omeiensis ( C.Chen ) CYCheng: It grows on cliffs and rock crevices at altitudes 1000-1700 meters in the Chinese provinces of Henan and western Sichuan ( Emei Xian and neighboring areas ).
• Fünfblättriger gold thread ( Coptis quinquefolia Miq, Syn. Coptis morii Hayata, Coptis quinquefolia var pedatoquinquefollia Koidz, Coptis quinquefolia f ramosa Makino, Coptis quinquefolia var ramosa ( Makino ) Ohwi, Coptis ramosa ( Makino ) Tamura. ): It thrives in forests in Taiwan and Japan.
• Coptis quinquesecta ( WTWang ): This endemic species grows in dense forests at altitudes 1700-2500 meters in the southeastern Yunnan Jinping only in Xian.
• Yunnan gold thread ( Coptis Teeta Wall, Syn. Coptis teetoides CYCheng ): It grows in evergreen laurel forests at altitudes 1500-2300 meters only in the northwestern Yunnan ( Gongshan Drung -Nu to Zizhixian ) and southeastern Xizang.
• Three-bladed gold thread ( Coptis trifolia (L.) Salisb, Syn: .. Helleborus trifolius L., Anemone Oeder groenlandica, Coptis groenlandica ( Oeder ) Fernald, Coptis trifolia groenlandica subsp ( Oeder ) Hultén, Coptis trifolia groenlandica var ( Oeder ) Fassett ): He thrives in moist to moderately moist coniferous and mixed forests, marshes, willow bushes and in the tundra, often together with mosses, at altitudes 0-1500 meters in eastern Eurasia, Greenland and Saint- Pierre and Miquelon, and in Canada: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Ontario Prince Edward Iceland, Quebec, and Saskatchewan, and in the U.S. states: Alaska, Connecticut, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Iceland, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
• Coptis trifoliolata ( Makino ) Makino ( Syn: Coptis oligodonta ( Maek. ) Satake, Coptis quinquefolia var stolonifera Makino, Coptis quinquefolia var trifoliolata Makino, Coptis trifoliolata var oligodonta Maek. ): She comes, for example, prior to Sakhalin.

Use

Some species are rarely used as ornamental plants in gardens in rock gardens and moor beds, they are known as ground cover.

The underground plant parts of some species are used as a drug. Medical and cosmetic effects were examined. From the underground parts of plants of Coptis chinensis and Coptis occidentalis, a yellow dye is obtained. Coptis trifolia has been used as a flavoring and colorant for beverages and all parts of the plant to have been eaten, this toxicity is observed.

Coptis chinensis and Coptis Teeta are used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Swell

• Bruce A. Ford: Coptis - text the same online as printed work, In: Flora of North America Editorial Committee ( eds.): Nancy R. Morin: Flora of North America North of Mexico. Volume 3: Magnoliophyta: Magnoliidae and Hamamelidae. Oxford University Press, 1997, ISBN 0-19-511246-6. (Section Description, systematics and occurrence)
• Fu Dezhi, Orbélia R. Robinson: In: Flora of China. Volume 6: Coptis, pp. 305 - text the same online as printed work, In: Flora of China Editorial Committee ( eds.): ZY Wu, Peter H. Raven: Volume 6: Caryophyllaceae through Lardizabalaceae. Science Press / Missouri Botanical Garden, 2001, ISBN 1-930723-05-9. (Section Description, distribution and use )