Withania


Withania is a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family, Solanaceae, with 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 and W. coagulans, are economically significant, and are cultivated in several regions for their medicinal uses.

Etymology

Although the author gave no explanation of the name, but the common name of Withania coagulans, is thought to be after a great saint Ashutosh. Withania is thought to have been named in honour of Henry Witham, a British geologist and writer on fossil botany beginning in 1830.

Selected species