Occurence

From Texas and Florida over Mexico, the West Indies, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Chile, to Brazil. It is found between 0 and 1320 m a. s. 1. in the Andean region. In Venezuela it occurs in the coastal Cordillera from 900 to 1200 m, particularly in the deciduou forest and the savanna. It also occurs in alterated and cultivated regions. ROTH & MERIDA found the plant in Venezuela along the sandy beach of the former 'Playa Grande' (great beach) close to Maiquetia, which has been transformed into an international airport, some years ago.

Ethnobotanical and general use

Medical use

Plantae, folia, radix, flos. The plant is said to cure flu. The entire plant, crushed and mixed with petrol is used to wash the hair, to combat headache and to cure wounds. The leaves in wine are a remedy against fainting. The leaves applied in the form of a plaster heal wounds. A decoction of the leaves is used to wash the face, internally taken it cures meteorism. A decoction of the root applied locally reduces swellings. The infusion of leaves and flowers (a mouthfull) is used against dysentery and as a stimulant. The buds are applied to combat nose-bleeding
and the cutaneous eruption of 'San Antonio'.

Method of use

Externally, as a plaster, a wash or orally. Leaves and entire plants are macerated and mixed with petrol. Infusions and decoctions are used externally as well as internally. Leaves are also used with wine.

Healing properties

As MANFRED (1977, 1982) has emphasized, the healing properties are much the same in all Heliotrope species: Stimulant, tonic, against headache, to cure swellings, wounds, eruptions of the skin, dysentery, haemorrhage and meteorism.

Chemical contents

Necines, aminoalcohols of pyrrolizidine alkaloids, putrescine, spermidine, spermine and others.

South American medicinal plants : botany, remedial properties, and general use / I. Roth, H. Lindorf. Berlin ; New York : Springer, c2002. -- p. 492.