Fridericia chica
Family:
Native to:
Habitat:
Bignoniaceae
Southern and central Central America, most of South America.
Forests or thickets. Up to 1200 meters above sea level. 10 meter tall vine.
Ecological value:
Tolerant of some shade. Belongs to the Bignoniaceae family also known as Trumpet Vines. The family is known for being ornamental. There are between 810-860 species in this family, with 104 recognized genera.
Material uses:
Flowers and leaves create a red dye which has been used traditionally as a body paint. Leaves mixed with fruits of Renealmia alpinia are used to dye fibers of Astrocaryum chambira which are used in weaving baskets.
Edible uses:
No record on this species.
Medicinal use:
The plants leaves are used for anti-inflammatory, skin infections, blood
disorders. You can drink a decoction made from the leaves and stem to reduce tension.
Other details:
The dye made from this plant, can be used for tattoo ink. Can be propagated by cuttings from wood, from seeds or by layering.
Research:
Christine Facella
Sources:
“Fridericia Chica (Bonpl.) L.G.Lohmann | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science.” n.d. Plants of the World Online. Accessed November 28, 2023. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77142115-1/general-information.
“Bignoniaceae.” 2022. Wikipedia. March 18, 2022. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bignoniaceae.
“Fridericia Chica - Useful Tropical Plants.” n.d. Tropical.theferns.info. Accessed November 28, 2023. https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Fridericia+chica.
Image source: João Medeiros