Identifying Characteristics Of The Five Varieties Of Humulus Lupulus

[Xier]

Humulus lupulus L (hops), Cannabinaceae and related species
Eric Yarnell, ND
Bastyr University, Department of Botanical Medicine

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Variety

Native region​

var. lupulus

- Northern Europe​

var. cordifolius (Miq) Maxim

- Asia, Japan​

var. neomexicanus A Nelson et Cockerell

- Southwestern US​

var. pubescens E Small

- Midwestern US​

var. lupuloides E Small

- Eastern US and Canada​

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H. lupulus var. lupulus (European-type hops) have minimally pubescent leaves, cordate leaves with few lobes, fewer glands, milder bitterness, are very aromatic, and are almost always dioecious.

H. lupulus var. neomexicanus, var. pubescens, and var. lupuloides (North American-type hops) have 5-7 deep leaf lobes, have highly pubescent leaves, are highly resinous with many glands, and are more often monoecious and polyploid.

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If you have any other sources or anecdotal offerings, please post them here for the community.

 

[MarcGuay]

I bought some "var. lupuloides" from a local grower who described them as very aromatic, resinous, and floral. Haven't brewed with them yet.

Tiny bit of info from a scientific article's abstract: "The principal distinctions between the two sub-species were a markedly higher proportion of CoH (38-88% vs. 19-41%) in alpha acids of H. l. var. lupuloides, and generally higher concentrations of AA in cultivars of both American and European commercial hop cultivars, predominantly H. lupulus var. lupulus" (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12453579)