Acanthaceae
Ruellia

Ruellia tuberosa L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 635 (1753)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Mexico to N. South America and Peru, Caribbean. It is a tuberous geophyte and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. It is used to treat digestive system disorders and unspecified medicinal disorders, as a medicine, has environmental uses and for food.

Descriptions

Acanthaceae (part 2), Kaj Vollesen. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2008

Type
Type: Jamaica, Herb. Linn. 804.8 (K, microfiche!)
Morphology General Habit
Perennial herb with several erect stems to 30 cm tall from woody rootstock with tuberous roots; young stems with sparse to dense long and short broad glossy hairs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves ovate to elliptic, largest (including petiole) 5–10.5 × 2–4 cm, apex subacute to broadly rounded, base attenuate, long-decurrent, glabrous or with scattered broad glossy hairs along veins
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers in 3-flowered axillary dichasia (or 1-flowered with two undeveloping buds); primary peduncle 1.5–3.5 cm long, secondary 0.7–1.5 cm, subglabrous to sparsely puberulous; pedicels 10–20(–26) mm (central flower) or 3–10 mm (lateral flowers) long, puberulous; bracts and bracteoles linear, 3–7 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 17–32 mm long, divided to 2–4 mm from base, lobes filiform, ciliate with broad curly glossy hairs, otherwise glabrous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla open during the day, mauve to bluish purple; tube 32–40 mm long of which the basal cylindric part 8–12 mm and the throat 24–28 mm long; lobes 18–20 × 20–22 mm, orbicular to transversely elliptic with entire to crenate-dentate edge
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens included in throat, strongly didynamous, anthers not overlapping; filaments fused for 1–2 mm at base, free parts 2–3 and 6–7 mm long; anthers 3–4 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary glabrous; ventral stigma lobe 1.5–2 × 0.5–1 mm
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule linear, glabrous, 20–32 mm long, with more than 20 seeds
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seed orbicular, brown, ± 2.5 × 2 mm.
Ecology
Roadside ditches, old abandoned gardens, coconut plantations, secondary grassland; near sea level to 150 m
Distribution
Range: Native from southern USA through Central America and the Caribbean to N South America, introduced and naturalized sporadically in Africa and Asia Flora districts: K7 T3 T6 T8 Z P
[FTEA]

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Morphology General Habit
Herb.
Ecology
Alt. 5 - 1900 m.
Distribution
Native from Colombia.
[UPB]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean, Caribbean. Elevation range: 5–1900 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Bolívar, Boyacá, Córdoba, Cundinamarca, Huila, La Guajira, Magdalena, Meta, Norte de Santander, San Andrés y Providencia, Santander, Sucre, Tolima.
Habit
Herb.
Conservation
National Red List of Colombia (2021): Potential LC.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, wetlands (inland), artificial - terrestrial.
Vernacular
Copialila, Escopetica, Frito, Triqui traque copia-lila, Triqui-traque, Yuca de puerco
[UPFC]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Vernacular
HEART BUSH, DUPPY GUN
Morphology General Habit
Erect herb with numerous thickened roots; stems more or less pilose; leaves mostly 3–10 cm long, obtuse or acute, the minute linear cystoliths all scattered in a random pattern
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences few-flowered; corolla violet-blue, 4.5–6 cm long, the tube puberulous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsules ca. 2 cm long, glabrous throughout, 10–15-seeded, dehiscing explosively when wet; seeds nearly orbicular, ca. 2 mm in diameter.
Distribution
Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac. West Indies and northern S. America.
Ecology
Usually in pastures and open waste ground or along roadsides.
[Cayman]

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
chipaca, copetica, copialina, cortecorte, escopetica, explotaexplota, frito, oreja de mulo, tote, traquitraqui, triquitraque, trueno, yuca de puerco
[UNAL]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Nativa en Colombia; Alt. 5 - 1900 m.; Andes, Islas Caribeñas, Llanura del Caribe, Valle del Cauca, Valle del Magdalena.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
Conservation
No Evaluada
[CPLC]

Uses

Use Medicines Digestive System Disorders
'Roots' - Used as a laxative or as an emetic (Correa & Bernal 1989).
Use Medicines Unspecified Medicinal Disorders
Medicinal (State of the World's Plants 2016, Instituto Humboldt 2014).
[UPB]

Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
[UPFC]

Use
The local name, heart bush, refers to the use of its roots as a medicine for heart disease.
[Cayman]

Common Names

Spanish
Yuca de puerco, triqui traque copia-lila, copialila, escopetica, frito, triqui-traque.

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of the Cayman Islands

    • Flora of the Cayman Islands
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants of Boyacá Project

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/