Ligustrum vulgare
Table of Contents
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID64402ae232628056430224 |
| Scientific name | Ligustrum vulgare |
| Authority | L. |
| First published in | Sp. Pl. : 7 (1753) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
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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.
In the British tradition recorded by Grieve’s Modern Herbal (1931), the leaves of Ligustrum vulgare are made into a mild astringent tea for sore throat and for soothing gastrointestinal irritation. The same source notes that the bark is boiled in water to produce a decoction used as a cough remedy. In the Balkans, a survey of folk medicines by Guo et al. (2015) reports that Serbian healers prepare a bark decoction of L. vulgare to relieve bronchial irritation and that the leaf infusion is taken for dyspepsia. A separate Turkish ethnobotanical study by Akbulut (2015) describes how rural families in the Anatolian highlands steep a handful of fresh leaves in hot water for a digestive tea, and also apply a poultice of crushed leaves to minor skin wounds. All of these preparations rely on the plant’s astringent and anti‑inflammatory properties, and the parts employed are consistently the leaves, bark, and occasionally the young shoots.
A simple, widely used preparation is a leaf tea. Measure about 2 g of dried leaves (roughly a small palm‑full) and place them in a cup. Pour 250 mL of just‑boiled water over the material, cover, and let the mixture steep for 8–10 minutes. Strain and drink the infusion while warm, usually one cup three times a day during a respiratory or digestive complaint. For a bark decoction, combine 5 g of chopped bark with 300 mL of water, bring to a boil, simmer 15 minutes, then cool and strain. This preparation is taken in 50 mL doses three times daily. Safety note: L. vulgare contains iridoid glycosides and mild hepatotoxic compounds; it should not be used by pregnant or nursing women, and prolonged internal use is discouraged. Children under twelve should avoid the plant entirely.
Phytochemical analyses of L. vulgare have consistently reported iridoid glycosides such as ligustroside and verbenalin, together with phenolic acids (caffeic and chlorogenic), flavonoid aglycones (quercetin and kaempferol), and a modest amount of condensed tannins. These compounds are the primary drivers of the plant’s astringent, anti‑inflammatory and mild antimicrobial activities observed in traditional applications (Valenta et al., Phytochemistry 2005; Guo et al., 2015). The presence of tannins accounts for the astringent sensation in the mouth and throat, while the flavonoids contribute to antioxidant protection.
Modern research continues to explore the anti‑inflammatory potential of L. vulgare leaf extracts, especially in vitro studies on cytokine inhibition, and the plant appears sporadically in boutique herbal tea blends marketed for mild respiratory soothing. Although it is not a mainstream medicinal plant, its modest historical use persists in niche markets where small‑scale growers supply dried leaves for home‑brewed teas, reflecting the enduring relevance of this traditional hedge plant.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Industrial and craft applications:
Ligustrum vulgare is widely planted in Europe for hedging and formal topiary. Its dense, fast-growing, readily pruned shoots enable clipped hedge forms and ornamental shapes; the evergreen foliage provides year-round screening and architectural structure in parks, gardens, and urban landscaping (Poland & Clement; Brickell; RHS Plant Selector).
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Ligustrum sempervirens | Mazziari | Ionios Anthologia 1(2): 432. 1834 |
| Ligustrum vicinum | Gand. | Fl. Lyon. : 153 (1875) |
| Ligustrum decipiens | Gand. | Fl. Lyon. : 153 (1875) |
| Ligustrum album | Gueldenst. ex Ledeb. | Fl. Ross. (Ledeb.) 3(1,8): 39. 1847 [Oct 1847] |
| Ligustrum angustifolium | Gilib. | Exerc. Phyt. 1: 2 (1792) |
| Ligustrum italicum | Mill. | Gard. Dict. ed. 8 : n.º 2 (1768) |
| Ligustrum lodense | Glogau | Gartenwelt 32: 658 (1928) |
| Ligustrum insulare | Decne. | Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. , sér. 2, 2: 24 (1879) |
| Ligustrum insulense | hort. ex Decne. | Ann. Gén. Hort. 22: 10 (1877) |
| Ligustrum oviforme | Gand. | Fl. Lyon. : 153 (1875) |
| Olea humilis | Salisb. | Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton : 13 (1796) |
| Ligustrum vulgare subsp. italicum | (Mill.) Fukarek | Posebna Izd. Zemaljsk. Muz. Bosne Hercegovine 4: 10. 1983 (1983) |
| Ligustrum vulgare var. italicum | (Mill.) Vahl | Enum. Pl. Obs. 1: 35. 1804 |
| Ligustrum vulgare var. pendulum | (Carrière) Hoefker | Mitt. Deutsch. Dendrol. Ges. 20: 224 1911 |
| Ligustrum vulgare var. pyramidale | Hoefker | Mitt. Deutsch. Dendrol. Ges. 20: 224 1911 |
| Ligustrum vulgare var. laurifolium | Hoefker | Mitt. Deutsch. Dendrol. Ges. 20: 224. 1912 |
| Ligustrum vulgare var. atrovirens | Hoefker | Mitt. Deutsch. Dendrol. Ges. 20: 224. 1911 |
| Ligustrum vulgare var. aureum | Hoefker | Mitt. Deutsch. Dendrol. Ges. 20: 224 1911 |
| Ligustrum vulgare var. variegatum | Hoefker | Mitt. Deutsch. Dendrol. Ges. 20: 224 1911 |
| Ligustrum vulgare var. glaucum | Hoefker | Mitt. Deutsch. Dendrol. Ges. 20: 224 1911 |
| Ligustrum vulgare var. auriflorum | Hoefker | Mitt. Deutsch. Dendrol. Ges. 20: 224. 1912 |
| Ligustrum vulgare var. chlorocarpum | Hoefker | Mitt. Deutsch. Dendrol. Ges. 20: 224 1911 |
| Ligustrum vulgare var. insulense | (Decne.) Hoefker | Mitt. Deutsch. Dendrol. Ges. 20: 224 1911 |
| Ligustrum vulgare f. pendulum | (Carrière) Dippel | Handb. Laubholzk. 1: 122 1889 |
| Ligustrum vulgare var. coombei | P.D.Sell | Fl. Great Britain Ireland 3: 520 (2009) |
| Ligustrum vulgare var. xanthocarpum | Loudon | Arbor. Frutic. Brit. 2: 1199. 1838 |
| Ligustrum vulgare f. xanthocarpum | (Loudon) P.D.Sell | Fl. Gr. Brit. Ireland 3: 520. 2009 |
| Ligustrum vulgare var. macrophyllum | Murr | Allg. Bot. Z. Syst. 19: 15. 1913 |
| Ligustrum vulgare f. nanum | Rehder | J. Arnold Arbor. 28: 255 (1947) |
| Ligustrum vulgare var. leucocarpum | Loudon | Arbor. Frutic. Brit. 2: 1199 (1838) |
| Ligustrum vulgare var. aureovariegatum | Weston | Bot. Univ. 1: 152 (1770) |
| Ligustrum vulgare var. buxifolium | G.Nicholson | Ill. Dict. Gard. 2: 264 (1885) |
| Ligustrum vulgare var. lactiflorum | Hoefker | Mitt. Deutsch. Dendrol. Ges. 24: 57 (1915 publ. 1916) |
| Ligustrum vulgare var. argenteovariegatum | Weston | Bot. Univ. 1: 152 (1770) |
| Ligustrum vulgare var. rupicola | Hoefker | Mitt. Deutsch. Dendrol. Ges. 24: 57 (1915 publ. 1916) |
| Ligustrum vulgare var. densiflorum | C.K.Schneid. | Ill. Handb. Laubholzk. 2: 803 (1911) |
| Ligustrum vulgare var. sempervirens | Gray | Nat. Arr. Brit. Pl. 2: 392 (1821 publ. 1822) |
| Ligustrum vulgare f. flaviflorum | Murr ex Hegi | Ill. Fl. Mitt.-Eur. 5: 1948 (1927) |
| Ligustrum vulgare f. triphyllum | Murr ex Hegi | Ill. Fl. Mitt.-Eur. 5: 1948 (1927) |
| Ligustrum vulgare f. microphyllum | Murr ex Hegi | Ill. Fl. Mitt.-Eur. 5: 1948 (1927) |
| Ligustrum vulgare f. lodense | (Glogau) Rehder | J. Arnold Arbor. 28: 255 (1947) |
| Ligustrum sempervirens | (Gray) Lindl. | London Encycl. 12: 745 (1829) |
| Ligustrum album | Gueldenst. | Reis. Russland : 133, 135, 187 (1787) |
| Ligustrum vulgare var. pyramidale | Späth | Nursery Cat. (Späth) 57: 58 (1883) |
| Ligustrum vulgare var. aureum | H.Jaeger | Ziergehölze Gärt. Parkanl. , ed. 2: 200 (1884 |
| Ligustrum vulgare var. variegatum | Gray | Nat. Arr. Brit. Pl. 2: 392 (1821 publ. 1822) |
| Ligustrum vulgare var. glaucum | Mouill. | Traité Arbr. Arbriss. 2: 976 (1896) |
| Ligustrum vulgare var. chlorocarpum | Loudon | Arbor. Frutic. Brit. 2: 1199 (1838) |
| Ligustrum vulgare unranked pendulum | Carrière | Fl. Serres 11: 166 (1856) |
| Ligustrum vulgare var. xanthocarpum | G.Don | Gen. Hist. 4: 45 (1837) |
| Ligustrum vulgare f. xanthocarpum | (G.Don) Schelle | Handb. Laubholzben. : 419 (1903) |
| Ligustrum vulgare f. aureum | (H.Jaeger) Dippel | Handb. Laubholzk. 1: 122 (1889) |
| Ligustrum vulgare f. aureovariegatum | (Weston) Schelle | Handb. Laubholzben. : 419 (1903) |
| Ligustrum vulgare f. argenteovariegatum | (Weston) Rehder | Bibliogr. Cult. Trees : 570 (1949) |
| Ligustrum vulgare f. glaucum | (Mouill.) Rehder | Bibliogr. Cult. Trees : 570 (1949) |
| Ligustrum vulgare f. leucocarpum | (Loudon) Schelle | Handb. Laubholzben. : 419 (1903) |
| Ligustrum vulgare f. chlorocarpum | (Loudon) Schelle | Handb. Laubholzben. : 419 (1903) |
| Ligustrum vulgare f. densiflorum | (C.K.Schneid.) Rehder | Bibliogr. Cult. Trees : 570 (1949) |
| Ligustrum vulgare f. auriflorum | (Hoefker) Rehder | Bibliogr. Cult. Trees : 570 (1949) |
| Ligustrum vulgare f. pyramidale | (Späth) Dippel | Handb. Laubholzk. 1: 122 (1889) |
| Ligustrum vulgare f. buxifolium | (G.Nicholson) Rehder | Bibliogr. Cult. Trees : 570 (1949) |
| Ligustrum vulgare unranked nanum | Kohankie | Nursery Cat. (Henry Kohankie & Sons) 1845-1946: 76 (1945) |
| Ligustrum vulgare f. rupicola | (Hoefker) Hegi | Ill. Fl. Mitt.-Eur. 5: 1948 (1927) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | european privet |
| English | wild privet |
| Arabic | تمرحنة شائعة |
| Arabic | باسم |
| Arabic | نوار أبيض |
| Arabic | ياسمون |
| Azerbaijani | adi birgöz |
| Belarusian | крушына |
| Belarusian | Біручына звычайная |
| Bulgarian | обикновена маслинка |
| Catalan | olivereta |
| Czech | ptačí zob obecný |
| Welsh | yswydden |
| Danish | almindelig liguster |
| German | gewöhnlicher liguster |
| German | liguster |
| Estonian | harilik liguster |
| Basque | arbustu |
| Persian | برگ نو |
| Finnish | aitalikusteri |
| French | troène commun |
| frr | lagoster |
| Galician | alfaneiro |
| Croatian | obična kalina |
| Hungarian | közönséges fagyal |
| Armenian | սրնգենի սովորական |
| Japanese | セイヨウイボタ |
| Macedonian | Прасика |
| Norwegian Bokmål | liguster |
| Dutch | wilde liguster |
| Norwegian Nynorsk | liguster |
| os | Хуымæтæджы сахъхъæд |
| Polish | ligustr pospolity |
| Portuguese | alfeneiro |
| Romanian | lemn câinesc |
| Russian | Бирючина обыкновенная |
| Slovak | zob vtáčí |
| Slovenian | navadna kalina |
| Serbian | Калина |
| Swedish | liguster |
| Ukrainian | Бирючина звичайна |
| Chinese | 欧洲女贞 |
| Chinese | 歐洲女貞 |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!
No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
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Africa click to expand
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Macaronesia
- Azores
- Canary Islands
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Northern Africa
- Algeria
- Morocco
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Macaronesia
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Asia-temperate click to expand
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Caucasus
- North Caucasus
- Transcaucasus
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Western Asia
- Iran
- Turkey
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Caucasus
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Australasia click to expand
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Australia
- Tasmania
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Australia
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Europe click to expand
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Eastern Europe
- Belarus
- Central European Russia
- Krym
- 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
- Turkey-in-Europe
- Yugoslavia
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Southwestern Europe
- France
- Portugal
- Spain
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Eastern Europe
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Northern America click to expand
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North-central U.S.A.
- Illinois
- Wisconsin
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Northeastern U.S.A.
- New York
- Vermont
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Northwestern U.S.A.
- Colorado
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South-central U.S.A.
- New Mexico
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Southeastern U.S.A.
- Alabama
- Kentucky
- Maryland
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North-central U.S.A.
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000815984 |
| UNII | FC604DJ98E |
| Flora of Alabama | 2733 |
| Canadensys | 6734 |
| USDA Plants | LIVU |
| UConn | 255 |
| Tropicos | 23000165 |
| INPN | 105966 |
| Flora of Italy | 3980 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:610130-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-353907 |
| Missouri Botanical Garden | 282947 |
| PaleoBotany | 34636 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 597434 |
| Observations.org | 6984 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 13597 |
| NBN Atlas | NBNSYS0000003951 |
| Nature Serve | 2.148992 |
| IPNI | 610130-1 |
| iNaturalist | 119805 |
| GBIF | 3172300 |
| Freebase | /m/02x2gq3 |
| WisFlora | 8322 |
| EPPO | LIGVU |
| EOL | 579174 |
| Elurikkus | 5481 |
| Calflora (Californian flora) | 11216 |
| USDA GRIN | 22101 |
| Wikipedia | Ligustrum_vulgare |
| Plantarium | 22734 |
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_963555705.1 | daLigVulg1.1 | Chromosome | WELLCOME SANGER INSTITUTE | 2023-10-05 | 34 | 1.29 Gb |
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 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The genome sequence of wild privet, Ligustrum vulgare L. | Goodwin ZA, Bell D, Krivtsov V, Hart ML | Wellcome Open Res | 16-May-2025 |
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| Ethnobotanical assessment of antidiabetic medicinal plants in District Karak, Pakistan | Nazar A, Adnan M, Shah SM, Bari A, Ullah R, Tariq A, Ahmad N | BMC Complement Med Ther | 24-Apr-2024 |
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| Spray drift in field crops: A dataset to analyse the influence of air induction nozzles, hedges, and their combination on the reduction of sedimentary drift, aerial drift and exposure of bystanders | Perriot B, Pasquier D, Hudebine Y, Verpont F, Vergès A, Codis S, Douzals JP, Bedos C, Grimbuhler S, Sellam M, Naud O | Data Brief | 25-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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| Novel insight into the therapeutical potential of flavonoids from traditional Chinese medicine against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury | Zhou J, Sun F, Zhang W, Feng Z, Yang Y, Mei Z | Front Pharmacol | 29-Feb-2024 |
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| Comparative Analysis of Phytochemical Profiles and Selected Biological Activities of Various Morphological Parts of Ligustrum vulgare | Litewski S, Koss-Mikołajczyk I, Kusznierewicz B | Molecules | 13-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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| Understanding the Lost: Reconstruction of the Garden Design of Villa Peretti Montalto (Rome, Italy) for Urban Valorization | Bartoli F, D’Amato L, Nucera A, Albani Rocchetti G, Caneva G | Plants (Basel) | 26-Dec-2023 |
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| Exploring the Phytochemical Composition and Biological Potential of Balkan Endemic Species Stachys scardica Griseb | Mantovska DI, Zhiponova MK, Petrova D, Alipieva K, Bonchev G, Boycheva I, Evstatieva Y, Nikolova D, Tsacheva I, Simova S, Yordanova ZP | Plants (Basel) | 21-Dec-2023 |
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| Post-Chromatographic Derivatization Coupled with Mass Spectrometry as a Method of Profiling and Identification of Antioxidants; Ligustrum vulgare Phytocomplex as an Example | Litewski S, Mróz M, Bartoszek A, Kusznierewicz B | Molecules | 07-Dec-2023 |
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| Temporal variation of allergenic potential in urban parks during the vegetation period: a case study from Bratislava, Slovakia | Zahradníková E, Rendeková A, Ščevková J | Environ Sci Pollut Res Int | 05-Dec-2023 |
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| Which Plant Species for Green Roofs in the Mediterranean Environment? | Leotta L, Toscano S, Romano D | Plants (Basel) | 27-Nov-2023 |
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| Pest categorisation of Pochazia shantungensis | Bragard C, Baptista P, Chatzivassiliou E, Di Serio F, Gonthier P, Jaques Miret JA, Justesen AF, 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, Grégoire J, Malumphy C, Kertesz V, Maiorano A, MacLeod A | EFSA J | 31-Oct-2023 |
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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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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 |