Botany
The plant is a spreading well-branched shrub, growing to a height of 3 meters. Leaves are pinnately compound, oblong, acute, with 5-10 pairs of glossy green leaflets. Flowers are clustered in globose heads, up to 7 cm across, stamens are long and silky, pink to red. Fruit is a dehiscent pod.
Distribution
Ornamental cultivation; grown in gardens and parks.
Native to tropical America.
Uses
Folkloric
• No reported folkloric medicinal use in the Philippines.
• Elsewhere, decoction of the flowers used as blood purifier and tonic.
Studies
• Antioxidant / Flavonol Glycosides:
Study isolated three new acylated quercetin rhamnosides from the leaves and stems – quercitrin 2"-O-caffeate, quercitrin 3"-O-gallate and quercitrin 2",3"-di-O-gallate – with 17 known compounds. Six compounds exhibited moderate to strong radical scavenging properties.
Availability
Wild-crafted. |
