Ground elecampane root The Greek inula (Inula helenium) is a perennial plant belonging to the Asteraceae family (Compositae). It is native to West and Central Asia and has been known as an edible and medicinal plant since ancient times. The Greeks called the plant helenion, meaning "the radiant, the shining one." The name is related to hélios, meaning "sun." Several myths exist surrounding the name. The Romans, borrowing the Greek name, called the plant inula. When Linnaeus gave the plant its scientific Latin name, Inula helenium, in 1753, he used the Roman name for the genus and the Greek name for the species.