HAMELIA

Plant Name: HAMELIA

English Name: Firebush

Local Name:

• Firebush
• Hummingbird bush, Hamelia
• Scarlet bush

Family: Rubiaceae (Madder Family)

Uses:
The sap has been used to treat skin rashes. Hummingbirds and butterflies enjoy the nectar in the flowers. The small, black, glossy fruits are rounded and can be eaten. The small black fruit is considered acidic and edible, and a fermented drink is supposedly prepared from it. The leaves and stems have been used for tanning. The crushed leaves are sometimes applied to cuts and bruises, and the crushed leaves with vinegar are applied to eruptions of the skin. The plant is also used for washes and for lotions to relieve swelling of the legs and to deodorize them. A syrup from the fruit has reportedly been used in the West Indies as a remedy for dysentery.