Melastomataceae FAMILY

Clidemia rubra

Edibility

3/5

Medicinal

0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Clidemia rubra is a perennial plant with stems that are woody and persistant, at least at the base. It can grow up to 100cm tall, usually forming dense clumps of growth[ 331 Title Flora of Guatemala Publication Author Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark Website http://www.archive.org/ Publisher Year 1946 - 1976 ISBN Description A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/ ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food. It is sometimes cultivated for its edible fruit[ 317 Title Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants Publication Author Website http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Terse details of a huge range of useful plants. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeS. America - Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guyanas; C. America - Panama to Guatemala; Caribbean - Trinidad

HabitatMoist or wet thickets, savannahs, or on dry, sterile soils in pine or pine-oak forest and on open slopes; at elevations up to 1,500 metres, but mainly at lower levels[ 331 Title Flora of Guatemala Publication Author Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark Website http://www.archive.org/ Publisher Year 1946 - 1976 ISBN Description A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/ ].