Humulus lupulus
| Common hop | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Cannabaceae |
| Genus: | Humulus |
| Species: | H. lupulus |
| Binomial name | |
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Humulus lupulus L. |
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| Synonyms | |
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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 15–20 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 as such is widely cultivated for use by the brewing industry. The fragrant flower cones, known as hops, impart a bitter flavor, and also have preservative qualities.H. lupulus contains myrcene, humulene, xanthohumol, myrcenol, linalool, tannins, and resin.
The genus name, Humulus is a Medieval name that was at some point Latinized, while the specific epithet, Lupulus, is Latin for small wolf. The name refers to the plants tendency to strangle other plants, mainly osiers, like a wolf does a sheep. Hops could be seen growing over these willows so often that it was nick named willow-wolf. Meanwhile, the English word hop is taken from the Anglo- Saxon word hoppan meaning to climb.
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Wikipedia