David's milkberry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids David's milkberry |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Chiococca
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| Species: |
alba
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| Synonyms | |
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Chiococca bermudiana S.Br. Chiococca racemosa L. |
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Chiococca alba is a type of flowering plant in the coffee family. It is found in places like Florida and Texas in the United States. You can also find it in Bermuda, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, the Galápagos, and warm parts of South America.
Some common names for this plant are David's milkberry and West Indian snowberry. The name alba means "white" in Latin. This refers to the color of its fruits.
About the Plant
The West Indian milkberry is an evergreen plant. This means its leaves stay green all year. It can grow as a woody vine or a shrub. It often climbs on other plants. It can grow up to 6 meters (about 20 feet) tall.
Its leaves grow in pairs opposite each other. They are usually 5 to 11 centimeters (2 to 4 inches) long. Their shape can be oval or like a wide spear.
Small, yellow, bell-shaped flowers appear all year round. They are about 1 centimeter (0.4 inches) long. These flowers grow in groups of six to eight.
The fruit is a white, round berry. It is usually 4 to 7 millimeters (0.16 to 0.28 inches) wide. Each fruit typically has two dark brown seeds inside.
Plant Names and History
The plant was first described in 1753 by a scientist named Carl Linnaeus. He called it Lonicera alba.
Later, in 1893, A. S. Hitchcock moved it to the group called Chiococca. It is now considered the main example for that group.
In 1909, Stewardson Brown thought the plants in Bermuda were a new species. He called them C. bermudiana. He noticed they had lighter green and larger leaves. Their berries were also bigger. However, many scientists now think C. bermudiana is the same plant as C. alba.
What It Is Used For
Chiococca alba is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant. People like its dark green leaves that stay green all year. They also like its white berries. It can be trained to grow flat against a wall (called espalier). It can also grow on special frames called trellises.
The roots of this plant have been used in herbal medicine. They were used to help with digestion. For example, they could act as a laxative (to help you go to the bathroom). They could also be a diuretic (to help your body get rid of extra water). Sometimes, they were used as an emetic (to make you throw up) or an antidiarrhoeal (to stop diarrhea). This plant was even sold in Europe and the United States for these purposes a long time ago.
See also
In Spanish: Timacle para niños
