Moringa (genus)

Not to be confused with Morinda, Morina, or Morinaga & Company.

Moringa
M. ovalifolia in Namibia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Brassicales
Family: Moringaceae
Martinov[2]
Genus: Moringa
Adans.[1]
Type species
Moringa oleifera
Species

See text

Synonyms

Donaldsonia Baker f.
Hyperanthera Forssk.[1]

Moringa is the sole genus in the plant family Moringaceae. It contains 13 species, which occur in tropical and subtropical regions of Africa and Asia and that range in size from tiny herbs to massive trees. Moringa species grow quickly in many types of environments.

The most widely cultivated species is Moringa oleifera, native to the foothills of the Himalayas in northwestern India,[4] a multipurpose tree cultivated throughout the tropics and marketed as a dietary supplement, health food or source for herbalism practices.[5] The fruit pods of Moringa oleifera ("drumsticks") are increasingly consumed as food in many parts of the world, but particularly in South Asia.[6] The leaves are commonly used to make tea. Oils are made from the seeds, while powders can be made from the leaves and roots.

M. stenopetala, an African species, is also widely grown, but to a much lesser extent than M. oleifera.

The genus name is derived from murungai, the Tamil word for drumstick,[citation needed] and in India the plant[which?] is commonly referred to as the drumstick tree.[7]

  1. ^ a b "Genus: Moringa Adans". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 1996-09-17. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2011-09-26.
  2. ^ Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (2009). "An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG III" (PDF). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 161 (2): 105–121. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.2009.00996.x. hdl:10654/18083. Retrieved 2013-07-06.
  3. ^ "Moringa Adans". TROPICOS. Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 2009-12-30.
  4. ^ Olson, Mark (2010). "Moringaceae Martinov. Drumstick Tree Family" (PDF). Flora of North America. 1993+. Flora of North America North of Mexico. 7: 167–169.
  5. ^ Janick, Jules; Robert E. Paull (2008). The Encyclopedia of Fruit & Nuts. CABI. pp. 509–510. ISBN 978-0-85199-638-7.
  6. ^ Somoza, Veronika; Pirkwieser, Philip; Grosshagauer, Silke; Kraemer, Klaus (2021). "The Future of Moringa Foods: A Food Chemistry Perspective". Frontiers in Nutrition. 8: 844. doi:10.3389/fnut.2021.751076. ISSN 2296-861X. PMC 8594418. PMID 34796194.
  7. ^ Singh, Maavi. "My Mom Cooked Moringa Before It Was A Superfood". NPR. Retrieved 2019-02-14.