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Stevia (/ˈstiːviə, ˈstɛviə/)[2][3][4][5] is a genus of about 240 species of herbs and shrubs in the family Asteraceae, native to subtropical and tropical regions from western North America to South America. The species Stevia rebaudiana in this genus is widely grown for its extraction of sweet compounds from its leaves and sold as a sugar substitute known as stevia and other trade names.
| Stevia | |
|---|---|
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| Stevia rebaudiana flowers | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Subfamily: | Asteroideae |
| Tribe: | Eupatorieae |
| Genus: | Stevia Cav. |
| Species | |
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About 240 species, including:
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| Synonyms[1] | |
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The genus Stevia consists of 240 species.[6]
The genus was named for Spanish botanist and physician Petrus Jacobus Stevus (Pedro Jaime Esteve 1500–1556), a professor of botany at the University of Valencia.[7]
The genus is native to South America, Central America, and Mexico, with several species found as far north as Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.[8] The genus primary grows in semi-dry mountainous terrains but can also grow in other habitats such as grasslands, scrublands, forested mountain slopes, conifer forests, and subalpine vegetation.[9]
Human use of the sweet species S. rebaudiana originated in South America.[10] The species Stevia rebaudiana is widely grown for the sweet compounds (steviol glycosides) extracted from its leaves, sold as a sugar substitute under the generic name stevia and several trade names.[11]
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