Common hop (Lupulus orbicularis)
Description
Humulus lupulus (common hop or hop) is a species of flowering plant in the Cannabaceae family, native to Europe, western Asia and North America. It is a dioecious, perennial, herbaceous climbing plant which sends up new shoots in early spring and dies back to a cold-hardy rhizome in autumn. Hops are described as bine plants rather than vine because, unlike vines, they have stiff downward facing hairs that provide stability and allow them to climb. These shoots allow H. lupulus to grow anywhere from 4.6 to 6.1 metres (15 to 20 ft). Hops have fragrant, wind-pollinated flowers that attract butterflies. The female cone shaped fruits from H. lupulus are used by breweries to preserve and flavor beer, and so H. lupulus is widely cultivated for use by the brewing industry. The fragrant flower cones, known as hops, impart a bitter flavor, and also have aromatic and preservative qualities. H. lupulus contains myrcene, humulene, xanthohumol, myrcenol, linalool, tannins, and resin. H. lupulus can grow to be 10 meters tall and because it is a perennial herbaceous plant it goes through several growing seasons sometimes living up to 20 years. H. lupulus has simple leaves that can be opposite or alternate with 3-5 lobes. The staminate flowers do not have petals, while the pistillate flowers’ petals completely cover the fruit. The cones found on female plants are called strobili. The fruit of H. lupulus is an achene, meaning that the fruit is dry but does not split open at maturity. The achene is surrounded by tepals and lupulin secreting glands are concentrated on the fruit. H. lupulus grows best in the latitude range of 38°-51° in full sun with moderate amounts of rainfall. It uses the longer summer days as a cue for when to flower which is usually around July/ August. H. lupulus can cause dermatitis to some who handle them. It is thought that about 1 in 3000 people are affected by this.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum:
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Rosales
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Family: Rhamnaceae
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Genus: Rosales
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