Ophiopogon (lilyturf)[2] is a genus of evergreen perennial plants native to warm temperate to tropical East, Southeast, and South Asia.[1][3] Despite their grasslike appearance, they are not closely related to the true grasses, the Poaceae. The name of the genus is derived from Greek ὄφις ophis, 'snake' and πώγων pogon, 'beard', most probably referring to its leaves and tufted growth.[4][5][6][7] In the APG III classification system, it is placed in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Nolinoideae (formerly the family Ruscaceae).[8] Like many lilioid monocots, it was formerly classified in the Liliaceae.
They grow from short rhizomes, and bear tufts of leaves, from which flowers emerge in racemes held on short stems above the leaves.
Some species, such as O. japonicus and O. planiscapus, are used as ground-cover plants.
In Chinese medicine, the tuber of O. japonicus, known as mai men dong, is the cardinal herb for yin deficiency. According to the Chinese herbal medicine Materia Medica, the herb is sweet, slightly bitter, and slightly cold; it enters the heart, lung and stomach channels, thus nourishes the yin of the stomach, spleen, heart, and lungs, and clears heat and quiets irritability. It is used for hacking dry coughs, dry tongue and mouth, and constipation. Liriope is used as a substitute.[9]
Ophiopogon (lilyturf) is a genus of evergreen perennial plants native to warm temperate to tropical East, Southeast, and South Asia. Despite their grasslike appearance, they are not closely related to the true grasses, the Poaceae. The name of the genus is derived from Greek ὄφις ophis, 'snake' and πώγων pogon, 'beard', most probably referring to its leaves and tufted growth. In the APG III classification system, it is placed in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Nolinoideae (formerly the family Ruscaceae). Like many lilioid monocots, it was formerly classified in the Liliaceae.
They grow from short rhizomes, and bear tufts of leaves, from which flowers emerge in racemes held on short stems above the leaves.
Species Ophiopogon acerobracteatus - Guangdong Ophiopogon albimarginatus - Guangxi Ophiopogon amblyphyllus - Sichuan, Yunnan Ophiopogon angustifoliatus - S China Ophiopogon bockianus - S China, Vietnam Ophiopogon bodinieri - China, Bhutan Ophiopogon brevipes - Thailand Ophiopogon caulescens - SE Asia Ophiopogon chingii - S China Ophiopogon clarkei - C + E Himalayas Ophiopogon clavatus - S China Ophiopogon confertifolius - Thailand Ophiopogon cordylinoides - N Myanmar Ophiopogon corifolius - Guangxi, Guizhou Ophiopogon dracaenoides - S China, N Indochina, E Himalayas Ophiopogon filipes - Guangxi Ophiopogon fooningensis - Yunnan Ophiopogon grandis - Yunnan, Guizhou, Myanmar Ophiopogon heterandrus - S China Ophiopogon hongjiangensis - Yunnan Ophiopogon humilis - Cambodia, Vietnam Ophiopogon intermedius - S China, S + SE Asia Ophiopogon jaburan - Korea, Jeju-do, Japan, Nansei-shoto Ophiopogon japonicus - E Asia, Philippines Ophiopogon jiangchengensis - Yunnan Ophiopogon kradungensis - Thailand Ophiopogon latifolius - Yunnan, Guangxi, Vietnam Ophiopogon leptophyllus - Assam Ophiopogon longifolius - Vietnam Ophiopogon lushuiensis - Yunnan Ophiopogon mairei - S China Ophiopogon malcolmsonii - Myanmar Ophiopogon marmoratus - S China, N Indochina Ophiopogon megalanthus - Yunnan Ophiopogon menglianensis - Yunnan Ophiopogon micranthus - Assam Ophiopogon motouensis - Tibet Ophiopogon multiflorus - Guangxi Ophiopogon ogisui - Guangxi Ophiopogon paniculatus - Sichuan Ophiopogon peliosanthoides - S China, Vietnam Ophiopogon pierrei - Cambodia Ophiopogon pingbienensis - Yunnan Ophiopogon planiscapus - Japan Ophiopogon platyphyllus - S China, Vietnam Ophiopogon pseudotonkinensis - Guangxi Ophiopogon regnieri - Vietnam Ophiopogon reptans - S China, N Indochina, Assam Ophiopogon reversus - Guangxi, Hainan Ophiopogon revolutus - Yunnan, Thailand Ophiopogon sar-garhwalensis - Uttarakhand Ophiopogon sarmentosus - Yunnan, Guangxi Ophiopogon siamensis - N Thailand Ophiopogon sinensis - Yunnan, Guangxi Ophiopogon sparsiflorus - Guangxi, Guangdong Ophiopogon stenophyllus - S China Ophiopogon subverticillatus - Vietnam Ophiopogon sylvicola - Sichuan, Guizhou Ophiopogon szechuanensis - Sichuan, Yunnan Ophiopogon tienensis - Yunnan, Guangxi Ophiopogon tonkinensis - Yunnan, Guangxi, Vietnam Ophiopogon tsaii - Yunnan Ophiopogon umbraticola - S China Ophiopogon vietnamensis - Vietnam Ophiopogon xylorrhizus - Yunnan Ophiopogon yunnanensis - Yunnan Ophiopogon zingiberaceus - Sichuan, Yunnan
