Otholobium mexicanum
(L.f.) J.W.Grimes
Fabaceae
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:
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 |  |
| Habit | Shrub |
| Height | 2.00 m |
| Pollinators | Insects |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
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.
].
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
