Ceratostema alatum
(Hoerold) Sleumer
Ericaceae
Englerodoxa alata Hoerold
Common Name:
Flowering stem
Photograph by: Dick Culbert
Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
Flowering stem
Photograph by: Dick Culbert
Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
General Information
Ceratostema alatum is a low-growing shrub usually around 1 - 1.5 metres tall with occasional specimens up to 3 metres[
376- Title
- Neotropical Blueberries - The Plant Family Ericaceae
- Publication
-
- Author
- Luteyn. J.L. & Pedraza-Peñalosa. P.
- Website
- http://www.nybg.org/bsci/res/lut2/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A very comprehensive on-line guide to the Ericaceae of tropical America, giving full botanical descriptions, often with details of plant uses.
]. Occasionally the plant is found growing as an epiphyte[
376- Title
- Neotropical Blueberries - The Plant Family Ericaceae
- Publication
-
- Author
- Luteyn. J.L. & Pedraza-Peñalosa. P.
- Website
- http://www.nybg.org/bsci/res/lut2/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A very comprehensive on-line guide to the Ericaceae of tropical America, giving full botanical descriptions, often with details of plant uses.
].
The plant is sometimes gathered from the wild for its edible fruit and medicinal virtues.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
376- Title
- Neotropical Blueberries - The Plant Family Ericaceae
- Publication
-
- Author
- Luteyn. J.L. & Pedraza-Peñalosa. P.
- Website
- http://www.nybg.org/bsci/res/lut2/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A very comprehensive on-line guide to the Ericaceae of tropical America, giving full botanical descriptions, often with details of plant uses.
Range
Northern S. America - Colombia, Ecuador.
Habitat
Páramo vegetation (the band between the tree line and the snow line, comprising mainly tussock grasses, dwarf shrubs, cushion plants etc) at elevations of 2,800 - 3,950 metres[
376- Title
- Neotropical Blueberries - The Plant Family Ericaceae
- Publication
-
- Author
- Luteyn. J.L. & Pedraza-Peñalosa. P.
- Website
- http://www.nybg.org/bsci/res/lut2/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A very comprehensive on-line guide to the Ericaceae of tropical America, giving full botanical descriptions, often with details of plant uses.
].
Properties
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Habit | Shrub |
| Height | 1.50 m |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
A plant of high elevations in the tropics, experiencing strong, desiccating winds, frosts and snow.
Edible Uses
Fruit - slightly sweet[
376- Title
- Neotropical Blueberries - The Plant Family Ericaceae
- Publication
-
- Author
- Luteyn. J.L. & Pedraza-Peñalosa. P.
- Website
- http://www.nybg.org/bsci/res/lut2/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A very comprehensive on-line guide to the Ericaceae of tropical America, giving full botanical descriptions, often with details of plant uses.
]. The soft, juicy fruit has the flavour of a pear[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
]. The fruit is a dull reddish, oblate-spheroid berry up to 1.5 cm long and 2 cm diameter[
376- Title
- Neotropical Blueberries - The Plant Family Ericaceae
- Publication
-
- Author
- Luteyn. J.L. & Pedraza-Peñalosa. P.
- Website
- http://www.nybg.org/bsci/res/lut2/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A very comprehensive on-line guide to the Ericaceae of tropical America, giving full botanical descriptions, often with details of plant uses.
].
Medicinal
A decoction of the plant is drunk for the nerves[
376- Title
- Neotropical Blueberries - The Plant Family Ericaceae
- Publication
-
- Author
- Luteyn. J.L. & Pedraza-Peñalosa. P.
- Website
- http://www.nybg.org/bsci/res/lut2/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A very comprehensive on-line guide to the Ericaceae of tropical America, giving full botanical descriptions, often with details of plant uses.
].
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed -
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
