Hamelia patens Jacq.
EOL Text
Florida and West Indies, south to Bolivia and Paraguay
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings, Flora of Zimbabwe |
| Source | http://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/cult/species.php?species_id=145900 |
Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 2
Specimens with Barcodes: 37
Species With Barcodes: 1
Shrub to c. 4 m, or, less often, a small tree to 7 m. Leaves opposite or in whorls of 3(-5), elliptic or ovate, petiolate. Corolla to 2 cm, scarlet to orange. Fruit c. 7 mm, ovoid, dark red or purple.
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings, Flora of Zimbabwe |
| Source | http://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/cult/species.php?species_id=145900 |
United States
Rounded National Status Rank: N3 - Vulnerable
patens: spreading, diverging from the axis at almost 90 degrees
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings, Flora of Zimbabwe |
| Source | http://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/cult/species.php?species_id=145900 |
Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure
Reasons: Especie campestre y silvestre, de plasticidad ecológica muy amplia (no solamente de planta a la luz sino también de sotobosque, de lugares húmedos o no, crece también en colinas, montañas, etc.) Especie ubiquista. Ampliamente distribuida desde las Antillas y México hasta Paraguay.
"Notes: Plains to High Altitude, Cultivated, Native Tropical America"
Es frecuente en charrales, bosques secundarios, orillas de caminos y carreteras, cercas vivas etc. Las hojas se utilizan para alimentar conejos y los frutos son comidos por algunas aves.
Es apropiado para usarlo como ornamental por su porte mediano y copa frondosa. Medicinalmente se ha empleado contra dolores de cabeza, cáncer, diarrea, disentería, erisipela, fiebre, ictericia, malaria, llagas, como purgativo y veneno.In Costa Rica, butterflies and the hummingbird Eupherusa eximia compete for the nectar in H. patens (Thomas et al., 1986: 161). In poor weather, the hummingbird was able to exclude the butterflies, but in good weather was outcompeted by the numbers and size of the butterflies (Thomas et al., 1986: 161).
In Costa Rica, the rate of fruit of ripening is related to the rate of fruit removal (Levey, 1987: 203). Fruits can take 4-6 days to ripen. Birds removed the fruit either when ripe or a few days before. Rotting would begin after 15 days (Levy, 1987: 204-5). When fruits are removed at a very high rate, it causes reallocation of energy conserved when the partially ripe fruits are removed early (Levey, 1987: 203).
Armitage (1995) investigated the effect of photoperiod and temperature on flower development. Flower development was 100% at 16-h photoperiod as compared to 20% in the 8-h photoperiod (Armitage 1995: 256). However, plants were taller in the 8-h photoperiod. In low light (107 µmol/ m2·s), 100 days were needed for buds to become visible as compared to 69 days for the high (9325 µmol/ m2·s) treatment. In addition, buds developed more quickly in 30 °C (65 days) as compared to 20 °C (95 days) (Armitage 1995: 256). Flower development does better in long-day length and warmer conditions.
Reference
Armitage, A.A. 1995. Photoperiod, Irradiance, and Temperature Influence Flowering of Hamelia patens (Texas Firebush). HortScience 30: 255-256.
Levey, D.J.,1987. Facultative ripening in Hamelia patens (Rubiaceae): effects of fruit removal and rotting. Oecologia 74: 203-208.
Thomas, C.D., Lackie, P.M., Brisco, M.J., & Hepper, D.N. 1986. Interactions between Hummingbirds and butterflies at a Hamelia patens bush. Biotropica 18: 161-165.
Hamelia patens is a large perennial shrub or small tree in the coffee family, Rubiaceae, that is native to the American subtropics and tropics. Its range extends from Florida in the southern United States to as far south as Argentina.[2] Common names include firebush, hummingbird bush, scarlet bush and redhead.
Growth[edit]
Firebush has orangish-red tubular flowers, which recruit hummingbirds and butterflies for pollination.[3] The corollas vary greatly in length, making them attractive to a wide range of pollinators.[4] The fruit is a small dark red berry, turning black at maturity.[5]
Despite its somewhat scraggy appearance, this is a valuable garden tree in warmer climates and even in temperate ones, as long as the soil remains above freezing.[3]
Uses[edit]
Hummingbirds are attracted by its flowers and other birds feed on the fruit, both of which will also forage on small insects found in the vicinity, helping to keep down pests. The fruit have a refreshing, acidic taste and are also edible by humans; in Mexico, they are made into a fermented drink.
Medicinal uses[edit]
Also, the plants are used in folk medicine against a range of ailments. A number of active compounds have been found in firebush, including maruquine, isomaruquine, pteropodine, isopteropodine, palmirine, rumberine, seneciophylline and stigmast-4-ene-3,6-dione.[6] The bark contains significant amounts of tannins. No scientific study of the medical usefulness of Hamelia patens has been conducted. In Belize this plant's Mayan Name is Ix Canaan and is also known as "Guardian of the Forest". It is valued for the leaves which are used in preparations for treating skin conditions and infections.
Gallery[edit]
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Inflorescence
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Foliage
Footnotes[edit]
- ^ "The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species". Retrieved March 13, 2014.
- ^ USDA (2006)
- ^ a b Welch (2003)
- ^ Fenster (1991)
- ^ Francis, John K.
- ^ Duke, Jim (2007): Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases - Hamelia patens. Retrieved 2007-SEP-19.
References[edit]
- Fenster, Charles B. (1991): Selection on Floral Morphology by Hummingbirds. Biotropica 23(1): 98-101. doi:10.2307/2388696 (First page image)
- Francis, John K. (undated) http://www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/pdf/shrubs/Hamelia%20patens.pdf Hamelia patens.pdf. Retrieved 2009-AUG-25.
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) (2006): Germplasm Resources Information Network - Hamelia patens. Version of 2006-AUG-04. Retrieved 2009-DEC-17.
- Welch, Willam C. (2003): Horticulture Update - Firebush (Hamelia patens). Version of June 2003. Retrieved 2009-AUG-25.
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | Wikipedia |
| Source | http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hamelia_patens&oldid=654848184 |