Carphephorus odoratissimus

Carphephorus odoratissimus (syn. Trilisa odoratissima), common name vanillaleaf,[2] is a species of North American plants in the sunflower family. This species is native to the southeastern United States, including the states of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Florida.[3][4]

Vanillaleaf
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
(unranked):
Angiosperms
(unranked):
Eudicots
(unranked):
Asterids
Order:
Asterales
Family:
Asteraceae
Tribe:
Eupatorieae
Genus:
Carphephorus
Species:
C. odoratissimus
Binomial name
Carphephorus odoratissimus
(J.F.Gmel.) H.J.-C. Hebert
Synonyms[1]
  • Chrysocoma odoratissima J.F.Gmel.
  • Carphephorus subtropicanus DeLaney, N.Bissett & Weidenh., syn of var. subtropicanus

Carphephorus odoratissimus is a herbaceous perennial up to 180 cm (6 feet) in height, and is largely glabrous. It produces a flat-topped inflorescence with many small purplish flower heads containing disc florets but no ray florets.[2]

Varieties[1][2]

Uses

C. odoratissimus var. odoratissimus was given the common name vanillaleaf in reference to the vanilla-like odor that emanates from its foliage, which is due to the high (1.6%) content of coumarin as its major aromatic constituent. As a result, this variety has a history of use in cosmetics, herbal medicine, and as an additive to smoking tobacco. [5]

References
  1. The Plant List, Carphephorus odoratissimus (J.F. Gmel.) H.J.-C. Hebert
  2. Flora of North America, Vanillaleaf, Carphephorus odoratissimus (J.F. Gmel.) H.J.-C. Hebert
  3. Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
  4. Henry J.-C. Hebert. 1968. Generic considerations concerning Carphephorus and Trilisa (Compositae). Rhodora 70:474-485
  5. Khan, Ikhlas A.; Ehab, Abourashed A. (2010). Leung's Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics (PDF). Hoboken, NJ USA: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 240–242. ISBN 978-9881607416. Retrieved 21 September 2020.


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