Zanthoxylum

Zanthoxylumis agenusof about 250 species ofdeciduousandevergreentrees, shrubs and climbers in thefamilyRutaceaethat are native to warmtemperateandsubtropicalareas worldwide. It is the type genus of the tribe Zanthoxyleae in the subfamilyRutoideae. Several of the species have yellowheartwood, to which their generic name alludes.Several species are cultivated for their use as spices, notably includingSichuan pepper.
Plants in the genusZanthoxylumare typicallydioeciousshrubs, trees or woody climbers armed withtrichomes. The leaves are arranged alternately and are usuallypinnateortrifoliate. The flowers are usually arranged inpaniclesand usually function as male or female flowers with foursepalsand four petals, the sepals remaining attached to the fruit. Male flowers have fourstamensopposite the sepals. Female flowers have up to five, more or less freecarpelswith thestylesfree or sometimes fused near the tip. The fruit is usually of up to fourfolliclesfused at the base, each containing a single seed almost as large as the follicle.
The genusZanthoxylumwas first formally described in 1753 byCarl Linnaeusin the first volume ofSpecies Plantarum.The generic name is derived fromAncient Greekwordsξανθός(xanthos), meaning 'yellow', andξύλον(xylon), meaning 'wood'. It is technically misspelled, as thezshould bex, but botanical nomenclature does not allow for spelling corrections. It refers to a yellow dye made from the roots of some species.The first species that Linnaeus described wasZanthoxylum trifoliatum, now regarded as asynonymofEleutherococcus trifoliatus.The once separate genusFagarais now included inZanthoxylum.
28fossilseeds of the extinctZanthoxylum kristinae, from the earlyMiocene, have been found in the Kristina Mine atHrádek nad NisouinNorth Bohemia, the Czech Republic.
ManyZanthoxylumspecies make excellentbonsaiand in temperate climates they can be grown quite well indoors.Zanthoxylum beecheyanumandZanthoxylum piperitumare two species commonly grown asbonsai.
Spicesare made from a number of species in this genus, including:
InIndonesia'sNorth Sumatraprovince,Zanthoxylum acanthopodiumis harvested forandaliman.In Indonesian Batak cuisine,andalimanis ground and mixed with chilies and seasonings into a greensambalor chili paste.Arsikis a typical Indonesian dish containingandaliman.
Zanthoxylum piperitumis harvested in Japan and Korea to producesanshō(山椒) orchopi(초피), which has numbing properties similar to those of Chinese Sichuan peppercorns.In Korean cuisine,chopiis often used to accompany fish soups such aschueo-tang, whereas the plant's seeds are separated and used to make oil, and the oil is used as a medicine.
The Koreansanchois made fromZanthoxylum schinifolium, which is slightly less bitter thanchopi.InKorean cuisine,chopiis often used to accompany fish soups such aschueo-tang.
ThefruitofZanthoxylum armatumandZanthoxylum bungeanumspecies is used to makeSichuan pepperby grinding the husks that surround the berries.
In the states ofMaharashtra,Karnataka, andGoain Western India, the dried berries ofZanthoxylum rhetsaare known as teppal or tirphal inMarathiare added to foods such as legumes and fish. The name in both languages means 'three fruits' or 'three pods'.Because the trees bear fruit during themonsoonseason, the berries are associated with the concurrentKrishna Janmashtamifestival.
The fresh fruits are parrot green in color and are used as a flavouring agent in many curries made with a paste of coconut, chilis, and other spices. When dried, the flesh of the fruit hardens, turns a brownish black color and opens up to show the black seeds within. The seeds are discarded and the dried fruit is stored in containers for use around the year. Mostly used in fish preparations and a few vegetarian dishes, with coconut masala, this spice has a very strong woody aroma and is discarded at the time of eating the curry.
Plants in the genusZanthoxylumcontain the lignansesamin.
Species identified in Nigeria contains several types of alkaloids includingbenzophenanthridines(nitidine, dihydronitidine, oxynitidine,fagaronine, dihydroavicine,chelerythrine, dihydrochelerythrine, methoxychelerythrine, norchelerythrine, oxychelerythrine,decarineandfagaridine),furoquinolines(dictamine, 8-methoxydictamine,skimmianine, 3-dimethylallyl-4-methoxy-2-quinolone),carbazoles(3-methoxycarbazole,glycozoline),aporphines(berberine,tembetarine,magnoflorine, M-methyl-corydine),canthinones(6-canthinone),acridones(1-hydroxy-3-methoxy-10-methylacridon-9-one, 1-hydroxy-10-methylacridon-9-one,zanthozolin), and aromatic andaliphatic amides.Hydroxy-alpha sanshoolis a bioactive component of plants from the genusZanthoxylum, including the Sichuan pepper.
Zanthoxylumspecies are used as food plants by thelarvaeof someLepidopteraspecies including theengrailed(Ectropis crepuscularia).
The following is a list of species accepted byPlants of the World Onlineas of August 2020:
The genusFagarahas been sunk intoZanthoxylum, but as of January 2025, no name seemed to have been provided forFagara externa, which was regarded as anunplaced namebyPlants of the World Online.