Honeyworts (Cerinthe)
Description
Cerinthe is a poorly studied genus of vascular plants in the family Boraginaceae,[known as "honeyworts". The genus is characterised by a calyx made up of separate, rather than fused, sepals, a tubular corolla, and the schizocarpic fruit that divides into two parts at maturity, unlike most members of the family, where the fruit splits into four nutlets. The genus has a circum-Mediterranean distribution, ranging from the Irano-Turanian Region in the east to Morocco in the west. Cerinthe has been known since ancient times, an early reference to it is in John Gerard's The Herbal, published in 1597, describing its appearance, growth habits, time of blooming and mentions that "there is a taste as if it were of new wax in the floures or leaves chewed, as the name doth seeme to import." Gerard gives a list of other names for Cerinthe applied by prior writers, including Avicenna "Auicen", Pliny the Elder, Conrad Gessner, Rembert Dodoens, Carolus Clusius, and Matthias de l'Obel.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum:
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Class:
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Order: Boraginales
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Family: Boraginaceae
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Genus: Cerinthe
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