Borrichia arborescens
(L.) DC.
Asteraceae
Buphthalmum arborescens L.
Common Name:
Flowering stem
Photograph by: Masebrock
Public domain
Flowering stem
Photograph by: Masebrock
Public domain
Close-up of the flower
Photograph by: Sam Fraser-Smith
Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
Forming seed
Photograph by: darina
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Flowering plant
Photograph by: darina
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
General Information
Borrichia arborescens is a fleshy-leaved, evergreen shrub spreading by means of rhizomes and rooting stems to form dense colonies up to 1.5 metres tall[
428- Title
- Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 65
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden
- Year
- 1978
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent botanical publication, available for download from the Internet. This volume contains parts of the Flora of Panama.
].
The plant is possibly used as a food and medicine. It is sometimes cultivated as a hedge or ground cover plant.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
270- Title
- Flora of N. America
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.
,
428- Title
- Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 65
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden
- Year
- 1978
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent botanical publication, available for download from the Internet. This volume contains parts of the Flora of Panama.
Range
Southeast N. America - southern Florida; Caribbean - Bermuda, West Indies.
Habitat
Rocky coasts, sandy marshes, beaches, at elevations up to 10 metres[
270- Title
- Flora of N. America
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.
].
Properties
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Evergreen Shrub |
| Height | 1.00 m |
| Growth Rate | Slow |
| Pollinators | Butterflies |
| Cultivation Status | Ornamental, Wild |
Cultivation Details
A plant of subtropical to tropical zones, always found by the coast.
Requires a sunny position[
309- Title
- Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/shrubs/
- Publisher
- University of Florida
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- PDF fact sheets on over 500 shrubs.
]. Plants are tolerant of saline soils, both acid and alkaline conditions and extended inundation[
309- Title
- Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/shrubs/
- Publisher
- University of Florida
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- PDF fact sheets on over 500 shrubs.
]. Established plants are fairly drought tolerant[
309- Title
- Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/shrubs/
- Publisher
- University of Florida
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- PDF fact sheets on over 500 shrubs.
].
A fairly slow-growing plant[
309- Title
- Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/shrubs/
- Publisher
- University of Florida
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- PDF fact sheets on over 500 shrubs.
].
Edible Uses
The leaves are apparently eaten in salads or as a potherb[
301- Title
- Cornucopia II
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications, California.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-2-5
- Description
- The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
].
The above record uses the common name of 'Jamaican Samphire' for the plant, together with the botanical name B. Frutescens. However, B. Frutescens is not native to Jamaica, whilst this closely related species is. It is quite possible that the record refers to both species, or even the hybrid between them[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
Medicinal
The leaves of the plant are used as a medicinal tea[
428- Title
- Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 65
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden
- Year
- 1978
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent botanical publication, available for download from the Internet. This volume contains parts of the Flora of Panama.
].
Agroforestry Uses:
The dense growth of this plant makes it suitable for use as a low hedge or ground cover, especially near the sea and in saline soils[
309- Title
- Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/shrubs/
- Publisher
- University of Florida
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- PDF fact sheets on over 500 shrubs.
]. It is quite tolerant of trimming[
309- Title
- Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/shrubs/
- Publisher
- University of Florida
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- PDF fact sheets on over 500 shrubs.
].
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed -
Cuttings
Division
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
