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Useful Tropical Plants

Borrichia frutescens

(L.) DC.

Asteraceae

+ Synonyms

Buphthalmum frutescens L.

Common Name:

Borrichia frutescens
Plants spread freely at the roots and can form extensive stands
Photograph by: FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Creative Commons License
Borrichia frutescens Borrichia frutescens Borrichia frutescens Borrichia frutescens

General Information

Borrichia frutescens is an evergreen shrub in the more tropical areas of its range, but dies down to its perennial rhizomes in colder areas with frosts[
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 spreads by means of its rhizomes, forming dense mats of growth up to 1.2 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

C. America - southern Mexico, north to southern N. America from Texas to Florida, north to N. Carolina.

Habitat

Salt marsh communities, brackish backwaters, limestone rocky shores; 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 *  *
HabitEvergreen Shrub
Height1.00 m
Growth RateSlow
PollinatorsButterflies
Cultivation StatusOrnamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant mainly of the warm temperate to subtropical zones, entering into the tropics in Mexico and 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 record for this plant being edible uses the common name of 'Jamaican Samphire' for the plant. This species is not native to Jamaica, although the very closely related B. Arborescens 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
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-29. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Borrichia+frutescens>

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