醉鱼草属（学名：Buddleja）是唇形目玄参科的一属，自成一个醉鱼草族（Buddlejeae），约100余种，广泛分布在全世界热带和亚热带等温暖地区。醉鱼草科的拉丁名Buddleja是林奈为了纪念英国植物学家亚当·巴德尔 (1662–1715)而根据William Houston博士的建议而取得 .休斯顿博士本人则是第一个把醉鱼草带到英格兰的人。大部分醉鱼草为灌木，也有少数种类为乔木，但一般不足5米高，也有几个种类会超过30米高。基本分为两个群类，生长在美洲的一般为雌雄异株，而生长在东半球的一般为雌雄同株。中国有约40种，分布在南方各地。

Buddleja, or Buddleia /ˈbʌdliːə/ (also historically given as Buddlea) commonly known as the butterfly bush is a genus comprising over 100 species of flowering plants endemic to Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The generic name bestowed by Linnaeus posthumously honoured the Reverend Adam Buddle (1662–1715), a botanist and rector in Essex, England, at the suggestion of Dr. William Houstoun. Houstoun sent the first plants to become known to science as buddleja (B. americana) to England from the Caribbean about 15 years after Buddle's death.