Soapbush
Clidemia hirta
Also known as Koster's Curse
- Habit
- Shrub
- Native to
- South America
- Flowering
- December-March
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Clidemia hirta
- Genus
- Clidemia
- Family
- Melastomataceae
- Habit
- Shrub
- Habitat
- Degraded forest areas
- Habitat type
- Forest
- Native to
- South America
- Distribution
- Naturalized in Paleotropics
- Flowering & fruiting
- December-March
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Arrangement
- Opposite
- Type
- Variable
- Margin
- Variable
- Venation
- Variable
Typical of the Melastomataceae family — a field-mark hint, not measured for this exact species.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower symmetry
- Variable
- Inflorescence
- Cyme
- Fruit
- Berry
Typical of the Melastomataceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.
Local Names
- Malayalam
- സോപ്പ് ബുഷ്
About Soapbush
Soapbush (Clidemia hirta) is a shrub belonging to the Melastomataceae family (Melastome family). Members of this family are generally characterised by opposite simple leaves, cymose/panicle flower clusters, berry/capsule fruit. It is typically found in degraded forest areas. Native to South America, it is distributed across Naturalized in Paleotropics. Flowering and fruiting are typically seen during December-March. The species is valued in traditional medicine.
Melastomataceae
Melastome family
Soapbush belongs to the Melastomataceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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