形態特徵
多年生草本，落葉或常綠。根狀莖粗短或橫走，質硬、多鬚根，褐色；莖單生或數莖叢生，光滑，基部被有褐色鱗片。葉成熟後通常革質；單葉或1至3回羽狀複葉，基生或莖生，基生葉具長柄；小葉卵形、卵狀披針形或近圓形，基部心形，兩側基部通常不對稱，葉緣具刺毛狀細齒。花莖具1-4葉，對生或少有互生。
總狀花序或圓錐花序頂生，無毛或被腺毛，具少數花至多數花；花兩性；萼片8，兩輪排列，內輪花瓣狀，常有顏色；花瓣4，通常有距或囊，少有兜狀或扁平；雄蕊4，與花瓣對生，藥室瓣裂，裂瓣外卷，花粉球形，具3孔溝；子房上位，1室，胚珠6-15，側膜胎座，花柱宿存，柱頭膨大。
蒴果背裂。種子具肉質假種皮。2n=12。
分布情況
淫羊藿屬約50種，產北非（阿爾及利亞）、義大利北部至黑海、西喜馬拉雅、中國、朝鮮和日本，包括東北亞。中國約有40種，是該屬的現代地理分布中心。
下級分類
粗毛淫羊藿Epimedium acuminatum Franch.
保靖淫羊藿Epimedium baojingense Q. L. Chen et B. M. Yang
黔北淫羊藿Epimedium borealiguizhouense S. Z. He et Y. K. Ying
短莖淫羊藿Epimedium brachyrrhizum Stearn
淫羊藿Epimedium brevicornu Maxim.
綠藥淫羊藿Epimedium chlorandrum Stearn
寶興淫羊藿Epimedium davidii Franch.
長蕊淫羊藿Epimedium dolichostemon Stearn
無距淫羊藿Epimedium ecalcaratum G. Y. Zhong
川西淫羊霍Epimedium elongatum Kom.
恩施淫羊藿Epimedium enshiense B. L. Guo et Hsiao
紫距淫羊藿Epimedium epsteinii Stearn
方氏淫羊藿Epimedium fangii Stearn
川鄂淫羊藿Epimedium fargesii Franch.
天全淫羊藿Epimedium flavum Stearn
木魚坪淫羊藿Epimedium franchetii Stearn
腺毛淫羊藿Epimedium glandulosopilosum H. R. Liang
湖南淫羊藿Epimedium hunanense (Hand.-Mazz.) Hand.-Mazz.
鎮坪淫羊藿Epimedium ilicifolium Stearn
朝鮮淫羊藿Epimedium koreanum Nakai
寬萼淫羊藿Epimedium latisepalum Stearn
黔嶺淫羊藿Epimedium leptorrhizum Stearn
時珍淫羊藿Epimedium lishihchenii Stearn
直距淫羊藿Epimedium mikinorii Stearn
多花淫羊藿Epimedium multiflorum Ying
天平山淫羊藿Epimedium myrianthum Stearn
蘆山淫羊藿Epimedium ogisui Stearn
小葉淫羊藿Epimedium parvifolium S. Z. He et T. L. Zhang
少花淫羊藿Epimedium pauciflorum K. C. Yen
茂汶淫羊藿Epimedium platypetalum K. Meyer
柔毛淫羊藿Epimedium pubescens Maxim.
革葉淫羊藿Epimedium reticulatum C. Y. Wu
強莖淫羊箱Epimedium rhizomatosum Stearn
三枝九葉草Epimedium sagittatum (Sieb. et Zucc.) Maxim.
水城淫羊藿Epimedium shuichengense S. Z. He
單葉淫羊藿Epimedium simplicifolium Ying
星花淫羊藿Epimedium stellulatum Stearn
四川淫羊藿Epimedium sutchuenense Franch.
偏斜淫羊藿Epimedium truncatum H. R. Liang
巫山淫羊藿Epimedium wushanense Ying
竹山淫羊藿Epimedium zhushanense K. F. Wu et S. X. Qian
1.粗毛淫羊藿Epimedium acuminatum Franch.
2.保靖淫羊藿Epimedium baojingense Q. L. Chen et B. M. Yang
3.黔北淫羊藿Epimedium borealiguizhouense S. Z. He et Y. K. Ying
4.短莖淫羊藿Epimedium brachyrrhizum Stearn
5.淫羊藿Epimedium brevicornu Maxim.
6.綠藥淫羊藿Epimedium chlorandrum Stearn
7.寶興淫羊藿Epimedium davidii Franch.
8.長蕊淫羊藿Epimedium dolichostemon Stearn
9.無距淫羊藿Epimedium ecalcaratum G. Y. Zhong
10.川西淫羊霍Epimedium elongatum Kom.
11.恩施淫羊藿Epimedium enshiense B. L. Guo et Hsiao
12.紫距淫羊藿Epimedium epsteinii Stearn
13.方氏淫羊藿Epimedium fangii Stearn
14.川鄂淫羊藿Epimedium fargesii Franch.
15.天全淫羊藿Epimedium flavum Stearn
16.木魚坪淫羊藿Epimedium franchetii Stearn
17.腺毛淫羊藿Epimedium glandulosopilosum H. R. Liang
18.湖南淫羊藿Epimedium hunanense (Hand.-Mazz.) Hand.-Mazz.
19.鎮坪淫羊藿Epimedium ilicifolium Stearn
20.朝鮮淫羊藿Epimedium koreanum Nakai
21.寬萼淫羊藿Epimedium latisepalum Stearn
22.黔嶺淫羊藿Epimedium leptorrhizum Stearn
23.時珍淫羊藿Epimedium lishihchenii Stearn
24.直距淫羊藿Epimedium mikinorii Stearn
25.多花淫羊藿Epimedium multiflorum Ying
26.天平山淫羊藿Epimedium myrianthum Stearn
27.蘆山淫羊藿Epimedium ogisui Stearn
28.小葉淫羊藿Epimedium parvifolium S. Z. He et T. L. Zhang
29.少花淫羊藿Epimedium pauciflorum K. C. Yen
30.茂汶淫羊藿Epimedium platypetalum K. Meyer
31.柔毛淫羊藿Epimedium pubescens Maxim.
32.革葉淫羊藿Epimedium reticulatum C. Y. Wu
33.強莖淫羊箱Epimedium rhizomatosum Stearn
34.三枝九葉草Epimedium sagittatum (Sieb. et Zucc.) Maxim.
35.水城淫羊藿Epimedium shuichengense S. Z. He
36.單葉淫羊藿Epimedium simplicifolium Ying
37.星花淫羊藿Epimedium stellulatum Stearn
38.四川淫羊藿Epimedium sutchuenense Franch.
39.偏斜淫羊藿Epimedium truncatum H. R. Liang
40.巫山淫羊藿Epimedium wushanense Ying
41.竹山淫羊藿Epimedium zhushanense K. F. Wu et S. X. Qian
主要價值
本屬的一些植物全草供藥用。主治陽萎早泄，腰酸腿痛，四肢麻木，半身不遂，神經衰弱，健忘，耳鳴，目眩等症。亦有些具有觀賞價值。
