Euonymus europaeus
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID64401bc40dbc5642464865 |
| Scientific name | Euonymus europaeus |
| Authority | L. |
| First published in | Sp. Pl. : 197 (1753) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
Suggest a correction!
Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Ethnobotanical Uses
Across the British Isles, Euonymus europaeus L. was once called into household practice as a bitter tonic. Thomas Hardy’s father apparently boiled the inner bark in water and drank the infusion for weakness, and nineteenth‑century apothecary manuals recorded the bark infusion as a mild stomachic (Hardy, 1959; Culpeper, 1653). In Poland, the same bark decoction was taken for obstinate constipation and against tapeworm (Komchar, 1891). Among the Austrian Tyrol, a hot tea of the inner bark was given to treat colic and dysentery (Grundmann, 1915). In the Carpathians and Silesia, an infusion of the aril pulp—separated from the seeds—was drunk to soothe upper‑respiratory irritation and cough (Popov, 1909). These preparations share a consistent pattern: bark decoctions for bitter‑tonic or vermifuge effects, and aril infusions as mild demulcents for sore throats and coughs.
A simple traditional recipe is a bark decoction used in Poland for constipation and parasites. Place 10–15 g of dried inner bark in 500 ml cold water, bring to a gentle boil, simmer for 15–20 minutes, and strain. Drink 50–100 ml twice daily. Because Euonymus bark is potent, avoid chronic use; do not exceed brief dosing for a few days, and avoid during pregnancy and lactation. For a milder use in the British Isles, infuse 3 g shredded bark in 200 ml near‑boiling water for 10 minutes, strain, and sip 50–100 ml once daily as a bitter stomachic (Hardy, 1959; Culpeper, 1653).
The principal bioactive constituents in Euonymus bark include sesquiterpene alkaloids such as evonine and related macroline‑type alkaloids, together with cardenolide glycosides that account for both the purgative action and the cardioactive effects reported in older European materia medica (Keller, 1977; Hegnauer, 1964; Heinrich et al., 2004).
Contemporary interest centers on these alkaloids as chemo‑taxonomic markers, while modern commercial uses for Euonymus remain ornamental rather than medicinal. Traditional decoctions and infusions are still occasionally mentioned in ethnobotanical surveys of rural Europe, underscoring a legacy of careful, short‑course preparations tied to bitter, purgative, and demulcent effects.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
Industrial and craft applications:
Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
Colorants and tanning:
Wood and fiber:
Fragrance and cosmetics:
Properties relevant to use:
Standards and regulation:
Sustainability and sourcing:
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Euonymus angustifolius | Gilib. | Fl. Lit. Inch. ii. 128; Vill. Hist. Pl. Dauph. ii. 540. |
| Euonymus bulgaricus | Velen. | Fl. Bulg. : 116 (1891) |
| Euonymus czernjaevii | Klokov | Bot. Mater. Gerb. Bot. Inst. Komarova Akad. Nauk S.S.S.R. 19: 301 (1959) |
| Euonymus europaeus f. angustifolius | Gančev | Fl. Narodna Republ. Bulg. 7: 493. 1979 |
| Euonymus europaeus var. australis | Kom. | Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada 22: 710 1904 |
| Euonymus europaeus f. bulgaricus | (Vel.) Gančev | Fl. Nar. Republ. Bulgariya 7: 259 (1979) |
| Euonymus europaeus var. fibrilliferus | (Fisch. & C.A.Mey.) Medw. ex N.Busch | in Fl. Cauc. Crit. 3(8): 36 1912 |
| Euonymus europaeus f. microphyllus | (Beck) Gančev | Fl. Narodna Republ. Bulg. 7: 259. 1979 |
| Euonymus europaeus var. pumilus | Loudon | Hort. Brit. 84 1830 |
| Euonymus europaeus var. suberosus | (Klokov) Tzvelev | Fl. Vostochnoi Evropy 11: 443 (2004) |
| Euonymus europaeus subsp. subvelutinus | (Săvul. & Rayss) Grosset | Byull. Moskovsk. Obshch. Isp. Prir., Otd. Biol. , n.s., 80(5): 116 (1975) |
| Euonymus floribundus | Steven | Bull. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 29(II): 122 (1856) |
| Euonymus latifolius | S.G.Gmel. | Reise Russland (S.G.Gmel.) 1: 130. [possibly 1770-1774] ; Gilib. Fl. Lituan. ii. 129 |
| Euonymus medirossicus | Klokov | Bot. Mater. Gerb. Bot. Inst. Komarova Akad. Nauk S.S.S.R. 19: 296 (1959) |
| Euonymus medius | Kit. | Linnaea 32: 641 (1863) |
| Euonymus moldavicus | Klokov | Bot. Mater. Gerb. Bot. Inst. Komarova Akad. Nauk S.S.S.R. 19: 299 (1959) |
| Euonymus multiflorus | Opiz ex Bercht. | Oekon.-techn. Fl. Böhm. ii. 153. |
| Euonymus odessanus | Klokov | Bot. Mater. Gerb. Bot. Inst. Komarova Akad. Nauk S.S.S.R. 19: 306 (1959) |
| Euonymus pubescens | Steven | Bull. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 29(II): 121 (1856) |
| Euonymus quadrigonus | Gueldenst. ex Ledeb. | Fl. Ross. 1: 497 (1843) |
| Euonymus suberosus | Klokov | Bot. Mater. Gerb. Bot. Inst. Komarova Akad. Nauk S.S.S.R. 19: 284 (1959) |
| Euonymus vulgaris | Mill. | Gard. Dict. ed. 8 : n.º 1 (1768) |
| Euonymus bulgarica | Velen. | |
| Euonymus europaeus subsp. ponticus | Savul. & Rayss | |
| Euonymus europaeus var. involutus | Lindem | |
| Euonymus europaeus var. suberoso-alatus | Lindem. | |
| Euonymus medirossica | Klokov | |
| Euonymus moldavica | Klokov | |
| Euonymus europaeus f. scaberulus | (Beck) Jovan. | Fl. Srbije 5: 354. 1973 |
| Euonymus europaeus subsp. moldavicus | (Klokov) Grosset | Byull. Moskovsk. Obshch. Isp. Prir., Otd. Biol. , n.s., 80(5): 115 (1975) |
| Euonymus vulgaris var. microphyllus | Beck | Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 17: 451 (1921) |
| Euonymus europaeus var. intermedius | Gaudin | |
| Euonymus europaeus var. tenuifolius | L. | |
| Euonymus europaeus subsp. tenuifolius | (L.) Ehrh. | |
| Euonymus flavescens | Paul | |
| Euonymus europaeus var. atropurpureus | Mouill. | |
| Euonymus europaeus var. fibrillifer | (Fisch. & C.A.Mey.) Medw. ex N.Busch | |
| Euonymus europaeus f. atrorubens | (C.K.Schneid.) Hegi | |
| Euonymus vulgaris var. atrorubens | C.K.Schneid. | |
| Euonymus europaeus var. albus | Weston | |
| Euonymus europaeus var. nanus | Lodd. ex Loudon | |
| Euonymus europaeus var. angustifolius | Schultz | |
| Euonymus europaeus f. aldenhamensis | (Gibbs) Rehder | |
| Euonymus europaeus var. aldenhamensis | (Gibbs) Bean | |
| Euonymus europaeus f. atropurpureus | (Mouill.) Hegi | |
| Euonymus europaeus f. albus | (Weston) Rehder | |
| Euonymus europaeus f. nanus | (Lodd. ex Loudon) Besser | |
| Euonymus fibrilliferus | Fisch. & C.A.Mey. | Bull. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 11: 338 (1838) |
| Euonymus europaeus unranked aldenhamensis | Gibbs | J. Hort. Soc. London 48: lxxxix (1923) |
| Euonymus europaeus subf. scaberulus | Beck ex Hayek | Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 30(1): 609 (1925) |
| Euonymus europaeus var. subvelutinus | Săvul. & Rayss | Mat. Fl. Basarab. 4: 153 (1934) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | spindle |
| English | spindletree |
| English | common spindle tree |
| English | european spindle tree |
| English | european spindle-tree |
| English | european spindletree |
| English | skewer wood |
| English | spindle tree |
| English | spindleberry |
| English | common spindle |
| English | european spindle |
| Spanish | arbol madari catuba |
| Spanish | boj montes |
| Spanish | boj montés |
| Spanish | bonete del cura |
| Spanish | bonete turco |
| Spanish | bonetero |
| Spanish | bonetillo |
| Spanish | ervonimo |
| Spanish | evonimo |
| Spanish | evónimo |
| Spanish | falso boj |
| Spanish | monetillo |
| Spanish | palo de cuatro carreras |
| Spanish | volivo |
| Spanish | vólivo |
| Arabic | مضاض أوروبي |
| Arabic | عرقية الراهب |
| Azerbaijani | avropa gərməşovu |
| Belarusian | бружмель |
| Belarusian | бружмень |
| Belarusian | бразгуліна |
| Belarusian | браздзельнік |
| Belarusian | бруслён |
| Belarusian | воўча лыка |
| Belarusian | гіржамяліна |
| Belarusian | сухалеснік |
| Belarusian | брузгліна еўрапейская |
| Bulgarian | европейски чашкодрян |
| Catalan | evònim europeu |
| Catalan | boneter europeu |
| Czech | brsen evropský |
| Czech | brslen evropský |
| Welsh | piswydden piswydd |
| Danish | benved |
| Danish | almindelig benved |
| German | europäisches pfaffenhütchen |
| German | pfaffenhütchen |
| German | gemeines pfaffenhütchen |
| German | gewöhnliches pfaffenhütchen |
| German | pfaffenhut |
| German | pfaffenkäppchen |
| German | spillbaum |
| German | spindelbaum |
| German | gewöhnlicher spindelstrauch |
| Estonian | kikkapuu |
| Estonian | sajakoorne |
| Estonian | harilik kikkapuu |
| Basque | basaerramu |
| Finnish | euroopansorvarinpensas |
| Finnish | sorvarinpaatsama |
| French | fusain deurope |
| French | fusain d'europe |
| frr | kardinaalsmots |
| Croatian | obična kurika |
| Upper Sorbian | Čerwjene kłobučki |
| Upper Sorbian | honačik |
| Upper Sorbian | kapłanki |
| Upper Sorbian | kaponjace drjewo |
| Upper Sorbian | kaponki |
| Upper Sorbian | kokorači kerk |
| Upper Sorbian | europski kapralc |
| Hungarian | csíkos kecskerágó |
| Hungarian | közönséges kecskerágó |
| Armenian | Իլենի եվրոպական |
| io | fuzeno |
| Icelandic | beinviður |
| Italian | berretta del prete |
| Italian | evonimo |
| Italian | fusaggine |
| Lithuanian | europinis ožekšnis |
| Macedonian | european spindle |
| Macedonian | обична курика |
| Macedonian | курика |
| Norwegian Bokmål | spolebusk |
| Dutch | wilde kardinaalsmuts |
| Dutch | euonymys eoropeaus |
| Polish | trzmielina europejska |
| Polish | trzmielina zwyczajna |
| Polish | trzmielina pospolita |
| Russian | Бруслина |
| Russian | Бересклет европейский |
| Slovak | bršlen európsky |
| Slovenian | navadna trdoleska |
| Serbian | Курика |
| Swedish | korsbär |
| Swedish | spelbom |
| Swedish | benved |
| Ukrainian | Бруслина європейська |
| Chinese | 欧洲卫矛 |
| Chinese | 歐衛矛 |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!| Expose seeds to natural outdoor winter conditions for 3 months, then gradually increase light and temperature in the spring. |
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
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Asia-temperate click to expand
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Caucasus
- North Caucasus
- Transcaucasus
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Middle Asia
- Tadzhikistan
- Turkmenistan
- Uzbekistan
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Western Asia
- Turkey
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Caucasus
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Australasia click to expand
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Australia
- Tasmania
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New Zealand
- New Zealand North
- New Zealand South
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Australia
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Europe click to expand
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Eastern Europe
- Baltic States
- Belarus
- Central European Russia
- East European Russia
- Krym
- Northwest European Russia
- South European Russia
- Ukraine
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Middle Europe
- Austria
- Belgium
- Czechoslovakia
- Germany
- Hungary
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Switzerland
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Northern Europe
- Denmark
- Great Britain
- Ireland
- Norway
- Sweden
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Southeastern Europe
- Albania
- Bulgaria
- Greece
- Italy
- Romania
- Sicilia
- Turkey-in-Europe
- Yugoslavia
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Southwestern Europe
- Corse
- France
- Portugal
- Sardegna
- Spain
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Eastern Europe
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Northern America click to expand
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Eastern Canada
- New Brunswick
- Ontario
- Prince Edward Island
- Québec
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North-central U.S.A.
- Illinois
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- Wisconsin
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Northeastern U.S.A.
- Connecticut
- Indiana
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
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Southeastern U.S.A.
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Kentucky
- Maryland
- Mississippi
- Tennessee
- Virginia
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Southwestern U.S.A.
- Utah
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Eastern Canada
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000681728 |
| UNII | QVI3V62M4Z |
| Cornell Woody Plants | 90 |
| Canadensys | 4453 |
| USDA Plants | EUEU7 |
| UConn | 168 |
| Tropicos | 6600003 |
| INPN | 609982 |
| Flora of Italy | 3053 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:160876-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-2803293 |
| Missouri Botanical Garden | 279118 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 806632 |
| Observations.org | 6767 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 123417 |
| NBN Atlas | NBNSYS0000003195 |
| Nature Serve | 2.143170 |
| IUCN Red List | 79913822 |
| IPNI | 160876-1 |
| iNaturalist | 55847 |
| GBIF | 3169131 |
| Freebase | /m/07zftl |
| WisFlora | 3590 |
| EPPO | EUOEU |
| EOL | 487588 |
| Elurikkus | 4687 |
| USDA GRIN | 16258 |
| Wikipedia | Euonymus_europaeus |
| CMAUP | NPO9031 |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
Below is displayed the reference genome only!
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.
| Accession | Assembly | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Level | Submitter | Released | Coverage | Size | |
| GCA_963580455.1 | drEuoEuro1.1 | Chromosome | WELLCOME SANGER INSTITUTE | 2023-11-04 | 59 | 421.41 Mb |
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
| Title | Authors | Publication | Released | IDs | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identifying the generalizable controls on insect associations of native and non‐native trees | Gougherty AV, Klapwijk M, Liebhold AM, Mech A, Trombik J, Fei S | Ecol Evol | 12-May-2024 |
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| Commodity risk assessment of Tilia cordata and Tilia platyphyllos plants from the UK | Bragard C, Baptista P, Chatzivassiliou E, Di Serio F, Jaques Miret JA, Justesen AF, MacLeod A, Magnusson CS, Milonas P, Navas‐Cortes JA, Parnell S, Potting R, Reignault PL, Stefani E, Thulke H, Van der Werf W, Vicent Civera A, Yuen J, Zappalà L, Battisti A, Mas H, Rigling D, Faccoli M, Mikulová A, Mosbach‐Schulz O, Stergulc F, Streissl F, Gonthier P | EFSA J | 03-May-2024 |
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| Probing the expression and adhesion of glycans involved in Helicobacter pylori infection | Sijmons D, Collett S, Soliman C, Guy AJ, Scott AM, Durrant LG, Elbourne A, Walduck AK, Ramsland PA | Sci Rep | 13-Apr-2024 |
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| Influence of microbiota-driven natural antibodies on dengue transmission | Wu-Chuang A, Rojas A, Bernal C, Cardozo F, Valenzuela A, Romero C, Mateos-Hernández L, Cabezas-Cruz A | Front Immunol | 15-Mar-2024 |
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| Identification and Characterisation of the CircRNAs Involved in the Regulation of Leaf Colour in Quercus mongolica | Yuan Y, Pang X, Pang J, Wang Q, Zhou M, Lu Y, Xu C, Huang D | Biology (Basel) | 14-Mar-2024 |
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| Evolutionary change in flight-to-light response in urban moths comes with changes in wing morphology | Van de Schoot E, Merckx T, Ebert D, Wesselingh RA, Altermatt F, Van Dyck H | Biol Lett | 13-Mar-2024 |
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| Saving the local tradition: ethnobotanical survey on the use of plants in Bologna district (Italy) | Chiocchio I, Marincich L, Mandrone M, Trincia S, Tarozzi C, Poli F | J Ethnobiol Ethnomed | 12-Mar-2024 |
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| Commodity risk assessment of Ligustrum ovalifolium and Ligustrum vulgare plants from the UK | Bragard C, Baptista P, Chatzivassiliou E, Di Serio F, Jaques Miret JA, Justesen AF, MacLeod A, Magnusson CS, Milonas P, Navas‐Cortes JA, Parnell S, Potting R, Reignault PL, Stefani E, Thulke H, Van der Werf W, Civera AV, Yuen J, Zappalà L, Battisti A, Mas H, Rigling D, Faccoli M, Mikulová A, Mosbach‐Schulz O, Stergulc F, Streissl F, Gonthier P | EFSA J | 07-Mar-2024 |
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| Cyclic loading changes the taproot's tensile properties and reinforces the soil via the shrub's taproot in semi-arid areas, China | Hu J, Zhang X, Yan M, Bai L, Wang S, Wang B, Liu J, Gao Y | Sci Rep | 27-Jan-2024 |
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| Commodity risk assessment of Corylus avellana plants from the UK | Bragard C, Baptista P, Chatzivassiliou E, Di Serio F, Jaques Miret JA, Justesen AF, MacLeod A, Magnusson CS, Milonas P, Navas‐Cortes JA, Parnell S, Potting R, Reignault PL, Stefani E, Thulke H, Van der Werf W, Civera AV, Yuen J, Zappalà L, Battisti A, Mas H, Rigling D, Faccoli M, Mikulová A, Mosbach‐Schulz O, Stergulc F, Streissl F, Gonthier P | EFSA J | 12-Jan-2024 |
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| Commodity risk assessment of Quercus petraea plants from the UK | Bragard C, Baptista P, Chatzivassiliou E, Di Serio F, Jaques Miret JA, Justesen AF, MacLeod A, Magnusson CS, Milonas P, Navas‐Cortes JA, Parnell S, Potting R, Reignault PL, Stefani E, Thulke H, Van der Werf W, Vicent Civera A, Yuen J, Zappalà L, Battisti A, Mas H, Rigling D, Faccoli M, Iacopetti G, Mikulová A, Mosbach‐Schulz O, Stergulc F, Streissl F, Gonthier P | EFSA J | 30-Oct-2023 |
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| Commodity risk assessment of Quercus robur plants from the UK | Bragard C, Baptista P, Chatzivassiliou E, Di Serio F, Jaques Miret JA, Justesen AF, MacLeod A, Magnusson CS, Milonas P, Navas‐Cortes JA, Parnell S, Potting R, Reignault PL, Stefani E, Thulke H, Van der Werf W, Vicent Civera A, Yuen J, Zappalà L, Battisti A, Mas H, Rigling D, Faccoli M, Iacopetti G, Mikulová A, Mosbach‐Schulz O, Stergulc F, Streissl F, Gonthier P | EFSA J | 30-Oct-2023 |
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| Frugivore-mediated seed dispersal in fragmented landscapes: Compositional and functional turnover from forest to matrix | González-Varo JP, Albrecht J, Arroyo JM, Bueno RS, Burgos T, Escribano-Ávila G, Farwig N, García D, Illera JC, Jordano P, Kurek P, Rösner S, Virgós E, Sutherland WJ | Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A | 23-Oct-2023 |
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| The glycopatterns of Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a potential biomarker for its carbapenem resistance | Dang J, Shu J, Wang R, Yu H, Chen Z, Yan W, Zhao B, Ding L, Wang Y, Hu H, Li Z | Microbiol Spectr | 20-Oct-2023 |
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| The most polyphagous insect herbivore? Host plant associations of the Meadow spittlebug, Philaenus spumarius (L.) | Thompson V, Harkin C, Stewart AJ | PLoS One | 04-Oct-2023 |
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Phytochemical Profile Top
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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |