Hamelia patens
Jacq.
Rubiaceae
Duhamelia odorata Willd. ex Schult.
Duhamelia patens (Jacq.) Pers.
Duhamelia sphaerocarpa (Ruiz & Pav.) Pers.
Hamelia brachystemon Wernham
Hamelia brittoniana Wernham
Hamelia coccinea Sw.
Hamelia corymbosa Sessé & Moc.
Hamelia erecta Jacq.
Hamelia intermedia Urb. & Ekman
Hamelia lanuginosa M.Martens & Galeotti
Hamelia latifolia Rchb. ex DC.
Hamelia nodosa M.Martens & Galeotti
Hamelia pedicellata Wernham
Hamelia sphaerocarpa Ruiz & Pav.
Hamelia suaveolens Kunth
Hamelia tubiflora Wernham
Hamelia verticillata Moc. & Sessé ex DC.
Hamelia viridifolia Wernham
Schoenleinia thyrsoidea Miers
Common Name: Corail
General Information
Hamelia patens is an evergreen shrub, usually growing 1.8 - 3 metres tall, though sometimes becoming a tree up to 5 metres tall with a short bole around 8cm in diameter[
448- Title
- Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Second Volume.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Little E.L.; Woodbury R.O.;Wadsworth F.H.
- Publisher
- USDA, Forest Service; Washington.
- Year
- 1974
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains detailed information, and usually an illustration, on 500 tree species, including both native and exotic species.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of tannins. It is grown as an ornamental, valued especially for its showy flowers, which are often borne when the plants are less than 60cm tall[
448- Title
- Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Second Volume.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Little E.L.; Woodbury R.O.;Wadsworth F.H.
- Publisher
- USDA, Forest Service; Washington.
- Year
- 1974
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains detailed information, and usually an illustration, on 500 tree species, including both native and exotic species.
].
Known Hazards
The plant is toxic[
1728- Title
- Plants of Haiti used as Antifertility Agents
- Publication
- Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 6 (1982) 61 - 84
- Author
- Weniger B. et al
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 1982
- ISBN
- 0378-8741
- Description
-
]. Further details are lacking from the report[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
Botanical References
Range
S. America - All countries except Uruguay, Chile; C. America - Panama to Mexico; Caribbean - Trinidad to Cuba, the Bahamas and to Florida.
Habitat
Open areas and thickets in the moist limestone and lower foothills of Puerto Rico, from sea level to 600 metres[
448- Title
- Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Second Volume.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Little E.L.; Woodbury R.O.;Wadsworth F.H.
- Publisher
- USDA, Forest Service; Washington.
- Year
- 1974
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains detailed information, and usually an illustration, on 500 tree species, including both native and exotic species.
].
Properties
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Evergreen Shrub |
| Height | 2.50 m |
| Pollinators | Humming birds |
| Cultivation Status | Ornamental, Wild |
Cultivation Details
The plant can flower and produce fruit all year round[
448- Title
- Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Second Volume.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Little E.L.; Woodbury R.O.;Wadsworth F.H.
- Publisher
- USDA, Forest Service; Washington.
- Year
- 1974
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains detailed information, and usually an illustration, on 500 tree species, including both native and exotic species.
].
Edible Uses
It is reported that the sour fruits are edible as well as medicinal[
448- Title
- Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Second Volume.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Little E.L.; Woodbury R.O.;Wadsworth F.H.
- Publisher
- USDA, Forest Service; Washington.
- Year
- 1974
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains detailed information, and usually an illustration, on 500 tree species, including both native and exotic species.
]. The pulp is eaten[
335- Title
- Perennial Edible Fruits of the Tropics : an Inventory
- Publication
-
- Author
- Martin, F. W.; Campbell, C. W.; Rubertbe, R. M.
- Publisher
- U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service
- Year
- 1987
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A booklet giving terse details of almost 300 species of edible fruits, plus regional lists of Botanical and Common names for over 2,500 less well-known edible fruits of the tropics.
]. The juicy, elliptic berries are 6 - 9mm long, containing many, minute seeds[
448- Title
- Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Second Volume.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Little E.L.; Woodbury R.O.;Wadsworth F.H.
- Publisher
- USDA, Forest Service; Washington.
- Year
- 1974
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains detailed information, and usually an illustration, on 500 tree species, including both native and exotic species.
].
Medicinal
The fruits and leaves have served for home remedies in some countries[
448- Title
- Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Second Volume.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Little E.L.; Woodbury R.O.;Wadsworth F.H.
- Publisher
- USDA, Forest Service; Washington.
- Year
- 1974
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains detailed information, and usually an illustration, on 500 tree species, including both native and exotic species.
].
The leaves and young shoots are taken in order to procure an abortion up to the third or fourth month of pregnancy[
1728- Title
- Plants of Haiti used as Antifertility Agents
- Publication
- Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 6 (1982) 61 - 84
- Author
- Weniger B. et al
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 1982
- ISBN
- 0378-8741
- Description
-
].
Other Uses
The stems and leaves have been used in tanning leather[
448- Title
- Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Second Volume.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Little E.L.; Woodbury R.O.;Wadsworth F.H.
- Publisher
- USDA, Forest Service; Washington.
- Year
- 1974
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains detailed information, and usually an illustration, on 500 tree species, including both native and exotic species.
].
The light brown wood is hard[
448- Title
- Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Second Volume.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Little E.L.; Woodbury R.O.;Wadsworth F.H.
- Publisher
- USDA, Forest Service; Washington.
- Year
- 1974
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains detailed information, and usually an illustration, on 500 tree species, including both native and exotic species.
]. It is generally of too small a dimension to have much function.
Propagation
Seed -
Cuttings.
If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.
Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
