Leafless Z. simulans showing its knobbed bark

Zanthoxylum (including Z. fagara) is a genus of about 250 species of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs in the citrus or rue family, Rutaceae, native to warm temperate and subtropical areas worldwide. Common names include Prickly-ash and Hercules' Club.

The fruit of several species are used to make the spice Sichuan pepper. They are also used as bonsai trees. Historically, the bark was widely used for toothache, colic, and rheumatism.^[3]

Selected species

• Zanthoxylum acanthopodium DC. – Andaliman; Chinese: 刺花椒 (ci hua jiao^[4])
• Zanthoxylum ailanthoides Sieb. & Zucc. – Chinese: 椿叶花椒 (chun ye hua jiao)^[4], 越椒 (yue-jiao)^[5], 食茱萸 (shi zhu yu)^[6][7]; Japanese: カラスザンショウ karasu-zanshō.
  

(syn. Fagara ailanthoides (Sieb. & Zucc.) Engler^[5])

• Zanthoxylum alatum Roxb. – Winged Prickly-ash.
  

(cf. syn under Z. armatum)

• Zanthoxylum albuquerquei D.R.Simpson (Peru)
• Zanthoxylum americanum Mill. – Toothache Tree, Northern Prickly-ash (Eastern and Central United States)
• Zanthoxylum armatum DC. – Bamboo-leaf Prickly-ash; Chinese: 竹叶花椒 (zhu ye hua jiao)^[4], 竹葉(花)椒(zhu-ye-(hua)-jiao, "bamboo-leaved Z.")^[5], 狗椒 (gou-jia "dog Z.")^[5],
  

(syn. Z. planispinum Sieb. & Zucc.; Z. alatum sensu Forbes & Hemsley, Rehder & Wilson, non Roxburgh; Z. alatum var. planispinum Rehder & Wilson^[5])

• Zanthoxylum atchoum (Aké Assi) Waterman (Côte d'Ivoire)
• Zanthoxylum beecheyanum
• Zanthoxylum belizense Lundell (Central America)
• Zanthoxylum bifoliolatum Leonard – Maricao Prickly-ash
• Zanthoxylum brachyacanthum F.Muell. – Thorny Yellowwood (Australia)
• Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim. – Northern China peppercorn^[5]; Chinese: 花椒(hua jiao)^[4][5]
• Zanthoxylum buesgenii
• Zanthoxylum capense (Thunb.) Harv.
• Zanthoxylum caribaeum Lam. – Yellow Prickly-ash
• Zanthoxylum chevalieri Waterman (Ghana)
• Zanthoxylum clava-herculis L. – Hercules' Club, Southern Prickly-ash (southeastern United States)
• Zanthoxylum coco Gillies ex Hook. & Arn. – Coco, Smelly Sauco (Argentina, Bolivia)
• Zanthoxylum coreanum Nakai – Korean Lime Tree
• Zanthoxylum coriaceum – Biscayne Prickly-ash
• Zanthoxylum davyi Waterman
• Zanthoxylum delagoense Waterman (Mozambique)
• Zanthoxylum deremense (Engl.) Kokwaro (Malawi, Tanzania)
• Zanthoxylum dipetalum H.Mann – Kāwaʻu (Hawaii)
• Zanthoxylum fagara (L.) Sarg. – Lime Prickly-ash (Neotropics)
• Zanthoxylum ferrugineum J.D.Smith (Central America)
• Zanthoxylum flavum Vahl – West Indian Satinwood (Caribbean)
• Zanthoxylum gentlei Lundell (Belize, Guatemala, Honduras)
• Zanthoxylum harrisii P.Wilson ex Britton (Jamaica)
• Zanthoxylum hartii (Krug & Urb.) P.Wilson (Jamaica)
• Zanthoxylum hawaiiense Hillebr. – Aʻe, Hawaiʻi Prickly-ash (Hawaii)
• Zanthoxylum heterophyllum (Lam.) Smith (Mauritius, Réunion)
• Zanthoxylum hirsutum Buckley – Texas Hercules' Club
• Zanthoxylum holtzianum (Engl.) Waterm. (Tanzania)
• Zanthoxylum humile Waterm.
• Zanthoxylum hyemale A.St.-Hil.
• Zanthoxylum integrifoliolum (Merr.) Merr. (The Philippines, Taiwan)
• Zanthoxylum kauaense A.Gray – Aʻe, Kauaʻi Prickly-ash (Hawaii)
• Zanthoxylum leprieurii Guill. & Perr.
• Zanthoxylum limonella Alston – Makaen
• Zanthoxylum lindense (Engl.) Kokwaro (Tanzania)
• Zanthoxylum martinicense (Lam.) DC. – White Prickly-ash
• Zanthoxylum monophyllum (Lam.) P.Wilson – Yellow Prickle
• Zanthoxylum nadeaudii Drake (French Polynesia)
• Zanthoxylum negrilense Fawc. & Rendle (Jamaica)
• Zanthoxylum nitidum (Roxb.) DC. – Shining Prickly-ash; Chinese: 两面针(liang mian zhen "both side needles")^[4]
• Zanthoxylum oahuense Hillebr. – Aʻe, Oʻahu Prickly-ash (Island of Oʻahu in Hawaii)
• Zanthoxylum ocumarense (Pittier) Steyerm.
• Zanthoxylum ovatifoliolatum Finkelstein
• Zanthoxylum naranjillo Griseb. – Naranjillo
• Zanthoxylum panamense P.Wilson (Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama)
• Zanthoxylum parvum Shinners – Tickletongue
• Zanthoxylum pinnatum
• Zanthoxylum piperitum (L.) DC. – Japanese Pepper Tree, Japan Pepper, Sanshō; Japanese: 山椒(サンショウ) sanshō; Korean: 초피나무(chopi-namu)
• Zanthoxylum planispinum Siebold & Zucc. → Z. armatum
• Zanthoxylum procerum Donn Sm. (Central America)
• Zanthoxylum psammophilum (Aké Assi) Waterman (Côte d'Ivoire)
• Zanthoxylum punctatum Vahl – Dotted Prickly-ash
• Zanthoxylum rhetsa (Roxb.) DC. – Chirphal, Teppal, Tirphal, Indian Pepper^[8]
• Zanthoxylum rhoifolium Lam.
• Zanthoxylum schinifolium Siebold & Zucc. – Mastic-leaved Prickly-ash; Wild Zanthoxylum^[5]; Chinese: 香椒子 (xiang-jiao-zi "aromatic Z.")^[5], 青花椒 (qing-hua-jiao "green Z.")^[4][5]; Japanese: イヌザンショウ (inu-zanshō)^[9]; Korean: 산초나무(山椒__; sancho-namu)
  

(syn. Fagara mantchurica (J.Benn. ex Daniell) Honda, F. schinifolia (Seib. & Zucc.) Engl.)^[9]

• Zanthoxylum simulans Hance – Chinese Prickly-ash, Sichuan pepper, Sichuan Zanthoxylum^[5], Sichuan peppercorn^[5]; Chinese: 野花椒 (ye hua jiao)^[4], 川椒 (chuan-jiao, lit. "Sichuan pepper"^[5])(Eastern China, Taiwan)
• Zanthoxylum spinifex (Jacq.) DC. – Niaragato
• Zanthoxylum thomasianum (Krug & Urb.) P.Wilson – St. Thomas Prickly-ash (Puerto Rico, British Virgin Islands, United States Virgin Islands)^[10][11][12]
• Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides (Lam.) Zepern. & Timler, 1981; Senegal pricky-ash

Formerly placed here

• Eleutherococcus trifoliatus (L.) S.Y.Hu (as Z. trifoliatum L.)
• Melicope lunu-ankenda (Gaertn.) T.G.Hartley (as Z. roxburghianum Cham.)
• Melicope pteleifolia (Champ. ex Benth.) T.G.Hartley (as Z. pteleifolium Champ. ex Benth.)^[12]

Taxonomy

The generic name is derived from Greek words ξανθὸς (xanthos), meaning "yellow," and ξύλον (xylon), meaning "wood." It refers to a yellow dye made from the roots of some species.^[13] The Takhtajan system places the genus in the subfamily Rutoideae, tribe Zanthoxyleae,^[14] while Germplasm Resources Information Network places it in the subfamily Toddalioideae and does not assign it to a tribe.^[1] The once separate genus Fagara is now included in Zanthoxylum.^[15]

Uses

Many Zanthoxylum species make excellent bonsai and in temperate climates they can be grown quite well indoors. Zanthoxylum beecheyanum and Zanthoxylum piperitum are two species commonly grown as bonsai.

Culinary use

Spices are made from a number of species in this genus, especially Zanthoxylum piperitum, Z. simulans, Z. bungeanum, Z. schinifolium Z. nitidum, Z. rhetsa, Z. alatum, and Z. acanthopodium. Sichuan pepper is most often made by grinding the husks that surround Z. piperitum berries.^[16] In the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Goa in Western India, the berries of Z. rhetsa are sun-dried and added to foods such as legumes and fish. Because the trees bear fruit during the monsoon season, the berries are associated with the concurrent Krishna Janmashtami festival.^[17] It is called timur or timbur in Nepal, Darjeeling and Sikkim and is used widely to make a tingling dip, especially for boiled food like potatoes and yams.

Ecology

Zanthoxylum species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including The Engrailed.

Sources

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Zanthoxylum

Wikispecies has information related to: Zanthoxylum

References

• Hu, Shiu-ying (2005) (preview), Food plants of China, 1, Chinese University Press, http://books.google.co.jp/books?id=2OiYydyrsygC&pg=PA504 
• Zhou, Jiaju; Xie, Guirong; Yan, Xinjian (2011) (preview), Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicines - Molecular Structures, 1, Springer, http://books.google.co.jp/books?id=PMsXJnUYTFkC&pg=PA209 
• Zhang, Dianxiang; Hartley, Thomas G. (2008), "1. Zanthoxylum Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 270. 1753.", Flora of China 11: 53-66, http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=135262  PDF
• Smith, Frederick Porter (1985) (snippet), Chinese materia medica, vegetable kingdom, Southern Materials Center, 1985, http://books.google.co.jp/books?id=SLNKAQAAIAAJ 
• Blaschek, Wolfgang; Hänsel, Rudolf; Keller, Konstantin (1998) (preview), Hagers Handbuch der Pharmazeutischen Praxis, 3 (L-Z), Gabler Wissenschaftsverlage, pp. 809-, ISBN 978-3-540-61619-1, http://books.google.co.jp/books?id=XGXnVRiu3zoC&pg=PA810 

1. REDIRECTZanthoxylum