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Useful Tropical Plants

Otholobium mexicanum

(L.f.) J.W.Grimes

Fabaceae

+ Synonyms

Indigofera mexicana L.f.

Lotodes divaricatum (Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.) Kuntze

Psoralea divaricata Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.

Psoralea maleolens Macbr.

Psoralea mexicana (L.f.) Vail

Psoralea mutisii Kunth

Psoralea trianae (Vail) Macbr.

Common Name:

No Image.

General Information

Otholobium mexicanum is a usually much-branched, very leafy, shrub or a small tree that can grow 1 - 3 metres tall[
434
Title
Flora of Peru
Publication
 
Author
Macbride. J.F.
Publisher
Field Museum of Natural History
Year
1936
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent attempt at a Flora of Peru, though it is clear that many of the plants were imperfectly known at that time and so information on them was sketchy. Available for download from the Internet.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a refreshing tea and a medicine.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

434
Title
Flora of Peru
Publication
 
Author
Macbride. J.F.
Publisher
Field Museum of Natural History
Year
1936
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent attempt at a Flora of Peru, though it is clear that many of the plants were imperfectly known at that time and so information on them was sketchy. Available for download from the Internet.

Range

S. America - Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia

Habitat

Sunny slopes, woodland edges, shrubby woodland, usually at elevations above 2,000 metres[
434
Title
Flora of Peru
Publication
 
Author
Macbride. J.F.
Publisher
Field Museum of Natural History
Year
1936
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent attempt at a Flora of Peru, though it is clear that many of the plants were imperfectly known at that time and so information on them was sketchy. Available for download from the Internet.
].

Properties

Edibility Rating *  *
Medicinal Rating *  *
HabitShrub
Height2.00 m
PollinatorsInsects
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

Otholobium mexicanum is a plant of the moist tropics, usually at moderate to high elevations and often above 2,500 metres

Edible Uses

A refreshing tea is made from the leaves[
434
Title
Flora of Peru
Publication
 
Author
Macbride. J.F.
Publisher
Field Museum of Natural History
Year
1936
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent attempt at a Flora of Peru, though it is clear that many of the plants were imperfectly known at that time and so information on them was sketchy. Available for download from the Internet.
].

Medicinal

An infusion of the leaves is used to treat various disorders of the stomach[
434
Title
Flora of Peru
Publication
 
Author
Macbride. J.F.
Publisher
Field Museum of Natural History
Year
1936
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent attempt at a Flora of Peru, though it is clear that many of the plants were imperfectly known at that time and so information on them was sketchy. Available for download from the Internet.
].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water and sow in early to mid spring in a greenhouse[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. as soon as they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in light shade until large enough to plant out.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood in a frame[
11
Title
Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement.
Publication
 
Author
Bean. W.
Publisher
Murray
Year
1981
ISBN
-
Description
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
].
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-29. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Otholobium+mexicanum>

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