About 240 species, including: Stevia (/ˈstiːviə, ˈstɛviə/)[2][3][4][5] is a genus of about 240 species of herbs and shrubs in the family Asteraceae, native to subtropical and tropical regions from western North America to South America.

[6] The genus was named for Spanish botanist and physician Petrus Jacobus Stevus (Pedro Jaime Esteve 1500–1556), a professor of botany at the University of Valencia.

[8] The genus primary grows in semi-dry mountainous terrains but can also grow in other habitats such as grasslands, scrublands, forested mountain slopes, conifer forests, and subalpine vegetation.

[9] Human use of the sweet species S. rebaudiana originated in South America.

[10] The species Stevia rebaudiana is widely grown for the sweet compounds (steviol glycosides) extracted from its leaves, sold as a sugar substitute under the generic name stevia and several trade names.