[138] Eupatorium cannabinum, Hemp Agrimony
Introduction
Eupatorium cannabinum, Hemp Agrimony (or Hemp-agrimony) is a shrub in the Aster family that produces large inflorescences of tiny pink flowers.
It should be not confused with Cannabis sativa, Hemp (or Cannabis), or Agrimonia eupatoria, Agrimony, both of which are unrelated species.
Taxonomy
Kingdom – Plants
Division – Vascular Plants
Class – Angiosperms (Flowering Plants)
Order – Asterales
Family – Asteraceae
Subfamily – Asteroideae
Supertribe – Helianthodae
Tribe – Eupatorieae (200 genera, over 2000 species)
Subtribe – Eupatoriinae
Genus – Eupatorium
Scientific Name – Eupatorium cannabinum
Name
Although it is clear what hemp and agrimony are, it is not clear why this plant is called after them both. They are both very far away taxonomically and their flowers are completely different. The long, pointed leaves may have some similarities.
When it comes to Scientific Names it starts to look a bit circular. Eupatorium comes from Mithridates Eupator (135-63 BC), King of Pontus (Turkey and the Black Sea area) and later known as Mithridates the Great. Cannabinum obviously comes from hemp (Cannabis.) I don’t know whether Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria) gets its species epithet from Eupatorium or vice versa – or why either of them was named after Mithridates! [Eupator is a sort of nickname, meaning ‘good father,’ that was used for Mithridates VI.]
The ancient Greek kannabis went via very Old German hanapiz and Old English to hemp, so cannabis and hemp are really the same word. So is ‘canvas!’
Description
I won’t go into the taxonomy of the Aster family again but you can get an idea of its complexity from the list of sections above. All 2 000 species in the tribe Eupatorieae have only disc florets and white or almost white petals.
The genus Eupatorium has been considered to contain up to 800 species, most of which have now been moved to thirteen other genera. It won’t surprise you that the taxonomy of the tribe Eupatorieae is currently under discussion.
Hemp Agrimony is a bushy perennial plant that produces large inflorescences of light pink or mauve florets.
Habitat and use
Eupatorium cannabinum is native to much of Europe. The other species of Eupatorium come from Asia or North America. It has been used in traditional medicine as an anti-inflammatory agent for respiratory diseases.
Eupatorium cannabinum and other species of Eupatorium are available as cultivated varieties.
Other Notes
This species is popular with insects such as butterflies, as for [060] Buddleja.
See also
[309] Santolina chamaecyparissus, Lavender Cotton, will be interesting to etymologists, as it is not related to Lavender or to Cotton or to Chamaecyparis.
The Species of Britain 