Global InformationPalicourea elata information
| Palicourea elata | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Rubiaceae |
| Genus: | Palicourea |
| Species: | P. elata
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| Binomial name | |
| Palicourea elata (Sw.) Borhidi
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| Synonyms | |
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Palicourea elata, formerly Psychotria elata,[1] commonly known as girlfriend kiss[2] and labios de puta,[3] is a tropical plant that ranges from Central to South American rain forests in countries such as Mexico, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, and Colombia.[4]
The plant is most notable for its distinctly shaped red bracts and is consequently nicknamed “Hot Lips”. Though the bright red bracts are considered its most flashy feature, they are not the actual flowers of the plant but instead extravagant leaves. Just like human lips, the hot lips plant comes in a variety of shapes and forms offering a vast array of plants. P. elata is well-studied and has been documented over centuries to provide various health benefits to native communities. Due to these benefits and the overall appearance of the plant, it has been over-harvested and is now endangered.
- ^ Borhidi, A. (September 2011). "Transfer of the Mexican species of Psychotria subgen. Heteropsychotria to Palicourea based on morphological and molecular evidences". Acta Botanica Hungarica. 53 (3–4): 241–250. doi:10.1556/ABot.53.2011.3-4.4.
- ^ Huettmann, Falk (2015). "Conservation Research in the Cloud Forest of Central America with Lessons from Maderas Volcano, Ometepe, Nicaragua: A First-Person Narrative About Very Tough Fieldwork, Unfinished Data, and Climate Justice While Running Out of Time". Central American Biodiversity. pp. 419–433. doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-2208-6_17. ISBN 978-1-4939-2207-9.
- ^ Hammel, B. (1996). "Rubiaceae: Psychotria poeppigiana, Hot Lips, Labios de Puta". Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP)". Retrieved April 19, 2020.