Plantaginaceae
Russelia

Russelia equisetiformis Schltdl. & Cham.

First published in Linnaea 6: 377 (1831)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Mexico. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. It is has environmental uses and as a medicine.

Descriptions

Scrophulariaceae, S.A. Ghazanfar, F.N. Hepper & D. Philcox. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2008

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers in 1–2(–3)flowered fascicles and slender peduncles
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla scarlet, tubular, slightly saccate, up to 2.5 cm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule broadly ovoid, beaked by persistent style.
Note
Frequently cultivated as a garden ornamental; occasionally escaping and naturalizing by roadsides.
Morphology General Habit
Shrub up to 1.5 m high with numerous lax whorled branches sometimes arching and rooting, ribbed, and Equisetum-like
Morphology Leaves
Leaves usually totally absent, if present up to 7 in a whorl, obovate, 1–2 cm long,  ± 1 cm broad, or very small
[FTEA]

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

Morphology General Habit
A lax, arching, much-branched shrub, the slender green branches striate and glabrous; leaves up to 7 in a whorl or obsolete, when present lanceolate to ovate, up to 2 cm long, with toothed margins, and gland-dotted beneath
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel
Pedicels ca. 1 cm long; sepals 2 mm long. Corolla crimson with tube up to 2.5 cm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsules broadly ovoid, ca. 5 mm long.
Distribution
Cayman Islands. Mexico and C. America, cultivated and naturalised elsewhere.
Ecology
In Grand Cayman, this species now grows wild along sandy 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
cabello de indio, cola de caballo, colaecaballo, coral, escoba, lluvia de fuego
[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
Cultivada en Colombia; Alt. 1500 - 2600 m.; Andes.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
[CPLC]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 1500–2600 m a.s.l. Cultivated in Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Chocó, Cundinamarca.
Habit
Herb.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: savanna, shrubland, artificial - terrestrial.
[UPFC]

Uses

Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
[UPFC]

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

  • Colombian resources for Plants made Accessible

    • ColPlantA 2021. Published on the Internet at http://colplanta.org
    • https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

  • 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 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

  • World Checklist of Vascular plants (WCVP)

    • 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