Hamelia patens
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| Firebush | ||||||||||||||||||
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 Habitus
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Not evaluated (IUCN 3.1)
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| Hamelia patens Jacq. |
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Hamelia erecta Jacq. |
Hamelia patens (Firebush, hummingbird bush, scarlet bush or "redhead") is a large perennial shrub or small tree from subtropical and tropical America. The Firebush has a native range that runs from Florida in the southern United States to as far south as Argentina.[1]
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[edit] Growth
It has orangish-red tubular flowers, which recruit hummingbirds and butterflies for pollination[2]. Their corolla varies much in length, making it attractive to a wide range of pollinators[3]. The fruit is a small dark red berry[verification needed].
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[2].And it is full of SHIT!
[edit] Uses
Hummingbirds attracted by its flowers and other birds feeding on the fruit, which will also forage on small insects found in the vicinity, helping to keep down pests. The fruit have a refreshing, acidic taste and besides being much liked by some birds, they are also edible for humans; in Mexico, they are made into a fermented drink.
[edit] Medicinal uses
Also, the plants are used in folk medicine against a range of ailments. A number of active compounds have been found in firebush[4], but no scientific study of its medical usefulness has been conducted yet.
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ USDA (2006)
- ^ a b Welch (2003)
- ^ Fenster (1991)
- ^ Including maruquine and isomaruquine, pteropodine and isopteropodine, palmirine, rumberine, seneciophylline and stigmast-4-ene-3,6-dione. The bark contains significant amounts of tannins. See Duke (2007).
[edit] References
- Duke, Jim (2007): Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases - Hamelia patens. Retrieved 2007-SEP-19.
- Fenster, Charles B. (1991): Selection on Floral Morphology by Hummingbirds. Biotropica 23(1): 98-101. doi:10.2307/2388696 (First page image)
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) (2006): Germplasm Resources Information Network - Hamelia patens. Version of 2006-AUG-04. Retrieved 2007-SEP-19.
- Welch, Willam C. (2003): Horticulture Update - Firebush (Hamelia patens). Version of June 2003. Retrieved 2007-SEP-19.
