Zanthoxylum

Zanthoxylum is a genus of about 250 species of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs in the family Rutaceae, native to warm temperate and subtropical areas worldwide. Common names include prickly-ash and hercules' club.

The fruit of several species are used to make the spice Sichuan Pepper. They are also popular as bonsai trees.


Selected species
The Japanese Prickly-ash, Zanthoxylum ailanthoides, is the food plant of the larvae of Papilio bianor, Papilio helenus, Papilio protenor, and Papilio xuthus.

Zanthoxylum clava-herculis, the Hercules' Club, pepperwood, Southern prickly ash, etc., is a spiny tree or shrub native to the southeastern United States. It grows to 10-17 m tall and has distinctive spined thick, corky lumps 2-3 cm long on the bark. The leaves are pinnately compound, 20-30 cm long with 7-19 leaflets, each leaflet 4-5 cm long. The flowers are dioecious, in panicles up to 20 cm long, each flower small, 6-8 mm diameter, with 3-5 white petals. The fruit is a two-valved capsule 6 mm diameter with a rough surface, and containing several small black seeds.

Zanthoxylum coco or Fagara coco is an evergreen tree of the Rutaceae family, natural of Argentina and Bolivia where it grows in the wild, mostly hilly, spinniferous forests. Its natural habitat ranges the hilly forest of Sierras Pampeanas.

Zanthoxylum flavum (also called West Indian Satinwood, Yellow Sanders, Yellow-head, or Yellowheart) is a species of plant in the Rutaceae family. It is found in Anguilla, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Brazil, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Saint Lucia, and the United States. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Zanthoxylum hawaiiense is a species of plant in the Rutaceae family. It is endemic to the United States. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Zanthoxylum kauaense (also called Kauai Prickly-ash) is a species of plant in the Rutaceae family. It is endemic to the United States. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Zanthoxylum oahuense (also called Oahu Prickly-ash) is a species of plant in the Rutaceae family. It is endemic to the United States. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Zanthoxylum simulans (Chinese Prickly-ash or Flatspine Prickly-ash), is a flowering plant in the family Rutaceae, native to eastern China and Taiwan. It is one of several species of Zanthoxylum from which Sichuan Pepper is produced (see that page for uses). It is a spreading shrub or small tree growing to 7 m tall.

Zanthoxylum thomasianum (also called St Thomas Prickly-ash) is a species of plant in the Rutaceae family. It is found in Puerto Rico, the British Virgin Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Zanthoxylum acanthopodium

Zanthoxylum alatum - Winged Prickly-ash

Zanthoxylum sancho

Zanthoxylum americanum - Toothache tree; Northern Prickly-ash

Zanthoxylum beecheyanum

Zanthoxylum punctatum - Dotted Prickly-ash

Zanthoxylum rhetsa - Teppal

Zanthoxylum davyi

Zanthoxylum dipetalum - Kawa'u

Zanthoxylum fagara - Lime Prickly-ash

Zanthoxylum hiemale

Zanthoxylum bifoliolatum - Maricao Prickly-ash

Zanthoxylum buesgenii

Zanthoxylum coreanum - Korean lime tree

Zanthoxylum coriaceum - Biscayne prickly-ash

Zanthoxylum pinnatum

Zanthoxylum parvum - Tickletongue

Zanthoxylum rhoifolium

Zanthoxylum piperitum - Japanese Pepper Tree; Japan Pepper

Zanthoxylum planispinum - Bamboo-leaf Prickly-ash

Zanthoxylum hirsutum - Texas Hercules' Club

Zanthoxylum humile

Zanthoxylum ocumarense

Zanthoxylum ovatifoliolatum

Zanthoxylum naranjillo - Naranjillo

Zanthoxylum capense

Zanthoxylum caribaeum - Yellow prickly-ash

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