Name: Hamelia erecta
Region: Florida, to Argentina.
English: Firebush; Hummingbird bush; Scarlet bush; Redhead.
Clades:
Angiospermae,
Asteranae,
Lamiidae,
Rubiales,
Ixoroideae,
Stage 6.
Botany: showy, fast-growing, semi-woody evergreen shrub that can get up to 5 m; leaves whorled, 3 to 7 at each node, elliptic to oval, about 15 cm) long, and gray-pubescent underneath with reddish veins and petioles; reflexed upward from the midvein; flowers in showy terminal clusters, cymes, of bright reddish-orange or scarlet tubular flowers, ± 2 cm long; fruit in clusters, showy, juicy berry with many small seeds, ripening from green to yellow to red and finally to black.
Region: South America, the West Indies, Mexico, and even southern Florida.
Use: Belize, all types of skin problems including, sores, rashes, wounds, burns, itching, cuts, skin fungus, insect stings and bites.
SourcesFloridata Plant Encyclopedia. 2004; National Tropical Botanic Garden http: //ntbg.org/plants/plant_details.php?plantid=5716.