Cordia ecalyculata
| Cordia ecalyculata | |
|---|---|
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| In Iguazú Department, Argentina | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Boraginales |
| Family: | Boraginaceae |
| Genus: | Cordia |
| Species: | C. ecalyculata
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| Binomial name | |
| Cordia ecalyculata | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
|
List
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Cordia ecalyculata, also called Cordia salicifolia and chá de bugre, is a species of evergreen flowering tree in the borage family, Boraginaceae, that occurs mainly in Brazil and is used as a medicinal plant. Its red fruit, which resembles a coffee bean and contains caffeine, is roasted and brewed as a coffee substitute.
Description
[edit]Cordia ecalyculata is a large shrub or small tree usually measuring 3–15 meters (10–49 ft) in height, but on occasion reaching 20 m (66 ft). They have somewhat gray bark that is fairly smooth, but with small cracks both along and across the length of the trunk. The leaves are evergreen and hairless. They may be elliptic-lanceolate or lanceolate in shape and measure 3–13 cm (1.2–5.1 in) long by 1–6 cm (0.4–2.4 in) long.[2]
The tree has inflorescences made up of loosely packed cymes of flowers. The flowers are hairless and white. They have a tube about 4–5 millimeters long that flairs outward into five rounded lobes. Each flower has five stamens. The fruit is egg shaped to mostly round, red in color, and has one seed. It flowers in summer and produces fruit in the fall.[2]
Birds that feed on the fruits of Cordia ecalyculata include guans, trogons, pigeons, tanagers, and aracaris.
Taxonomy
[edit]Cordia ecalyculata was scientifically described in 1829 by José Mariano de Conceição Vellozo. He also described a second species in the same year, Cordia digynia, which is regarded as a heterotypic synonym. Similarly Cordia salicifolia described by Adelbert von Chamisso, also described in 1829, is also regarded as a synonym but not identical to Cordia ecalyculata.[1]
Names
[edit]In Argentina this species is known by the common names Colita and gomita.[2][3] In Brazil it is known as café-de-bugre, cha-de-bugre, chá-de-frade, claraiba, cutiera, louro-mole, and louro-salgueiro. In English it is known as ecalyculate cordia.[3]
Cordia ecalyculata should not be confused with two other plants that have been called chá de bugre, Hedyosmum brasiliense[4] and Pimenta pseudocaryophyllus.[5]
Distribution and habitat
[edit]Cordia ecalyculata is native to south eastern Brazil, Paragua, and north eastern Argentina.[1]
Uses
[edit]The fruits of Cordia ecalyculata contain caffeine and are roasted and brewed to be used as a coffee substitute. It is also used as a traditional medicine in the Brazilian states of Minas Gerais, Bahia, Goias, and Acre. Extracts from the plant are sold commercially in Brazil diuretic, as an appetite suppressant, and for weight loss.[6] It has also shown some usefulness as a snakebite antivenom.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Cordia ecalyculata Vell". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
- ^ a b c Moroni, Pablo; O’Leary, Nataly; Nadra, María Gabriela; Miller, James S. (2022). "Sistemática de Cordiaceae en La Argentina I: Revisión Taxonómica del Género Cordia". Darwiniana (in Spanish). 10 (1): 46–48. ISSN 0011-6793. JSTOR 27150694.
- ^ a b Grandtner, M. M.; Chevrette, Julien (2014). Dictionary of Trees. Vol. 2 South America : nomenclature, taxonomy and ecology : with names in Latin, English, French, Spanish, and more. Amsterdam: Elsevier. p. 160. ISBN 978-0-12-396490-8. OCLC 861537228.
- ^ Murakami, Cynthia; Cordeiro, Inês; Scotti, Marcus Tullius; Moreno, Paulo Roberto H.; Young, Maria Cláudia M. (September 2017). "Chemical Composition, Antifungal and Antioxidant Activities of Hedyosmum brasiliense Mart. ex Miq. (Chloranthaceae) Essential Oils". Medicines. 4 (3): 55. doi:10.3390/medicines4030055. PMC 5622390. PMID 28930269.
- ^ de Paula, Joelma Abadia Marciano; Silva, Maria do Rosário Rodrigues; Costa, Maysa P.; Diniz, Danielle Guimarães Almeida; Sá, Fabyola A. S.; Alves, Suzana Ferreira; Costa, Élson Alves; Lino, Roberta Campos; de Paula, José Realino (2012). "Phytochemical Analysis and Antimicrobial, Antinociceptive, and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Two Chemotypes of Pimenta pseudocaryophyllus (Myrtaceae)". Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012: 420715. doi:10.1155/2012/420715. PMC 3469278. PMID 23082081.
- ^ Menghini, Luigi; Epifano, Francesco; Leporini, Lidia; Pagiotti, Rita; Tirillini, Bruno (March 2008). "Phytochemical investigation on leaf extract of Cordia salicifolia Cham". Journal of Medicinal Food. 11 (1): 193–194. doi:10.1089/jmf.2007.583. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
- ^ Schezaro-Ramos, Raphael; Collaço, Rita C; Cogo, José C; Dal-Belo, Cháriston A; Rodrigues-Simioni, Léa; Rocha, Thalita; Randazzo-Moura, Priscila (July 2020). "Cordia salicifolia and Lafoensia pacari plant extracts against the local effects of Bothrops jararacussu and Philodryas olfersii snake venoms". J Venom Res. 10: 32–37. PMC 7512476. PMID 33024546.