Hamelia patens
| Firebush | ||||||||||||||||||
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 Habitus | ||||||||||||||||||
| Conservation status | ||||||||||||||||||
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Not evaluated (IUCN 3.1) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||||||
| Hamelia patens Jacq. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Synonyms | ||||||||||||||||||
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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]
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]. Hummingbirds attracted by its flowers and other birds feeding on the fruit 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.
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.
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).
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.
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; from the article "Hamelia patens". Image Credit.
