Rubiaceae FAMILY

Psychotria poeppigiana

Edibility

0/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Sore mouth bush is an evergreen shrub or subshrub usually growing 0.7 - 3 metres tall, but occasionally to 6 metres[ 369 Title Flora of Costa Rica Publication Author Standley P.C. Website http://www.archive.org/ Publisher Field Museum of Natural History; Chicago Year 1938 ISBN Description Rather dated, but an excellent treatment of the area. Available for download from the internet. ]. It has a very distinctive flower that has earned it the common name of 'hot lips'. The plant is gathered from the wild for local medicinal use. Its distinctive flower has earned it a place in the ornamental garden.

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeS. America - Argentina, Brazil, north to the Guyanas, through Central America to Mexico.

HabitatWet, very wet and cloud forests, usually on forest edges and along the sides of trails, at low to medium elevations[ 333 Title Tree Species of Panama Publication Author Website http://ctfs.arnarb.harvard.edu/webatlas/mainframe.php?order=s Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Factsheets on all the tree and shrub species of Panama, giving identification guide, brief guide to the species and some uses. A vast, but rather incomplete work as of 15/07/09. ]. Usually found on poor soils in open forest.