Microtea debilis
Content
Description
Narrowly taprooted herb. Stem ascending to prostrate, sharply angled, glabrous, to 50 cm long. Leaves elliptical or ovate (rhombic-ovate to oblanceolate), near base of plant to 8 x 3 cm, acute to acuminate, and apiculate at apex, cuneate at base, broadly decurrent on petiole, glabrous; petiole to 3 cm long. Inflorescence a 10- to 25-flowered raceme, 1.5-4(-5.5) cm long; bract seemingly only an enation, ovate, ca. 0.3 mm long, obtuse, green; pedicels 0.8-1.2 mm long; bracteole elliptical, ca. 0.8-1 mm long, scarious, often notched. Tepals lanceolate or ovate, 0.5-1.1 mm long, subacute or obtuse, white with green midvein; stamens 5, alternate with and reflexed between tepals, filaments ca. 0.5 mm long; style 1, stigmas 3-partite, linear, spreading. Achenes spreading from inflorescence-axis, greenish, globose, 1-1.5 mm in diam., echinulate in a honeycomb pattern; seed globose, ca. 1.3 mm in diam., black, smooth.
Distribution
Central and South America present, Guianas present, New World tropics present, Southern America
New World tropics (West Indies, Central and South America); 67 collections studied, all from the Guianas (GU: 25; SU: 24; FG: 18).
Common Name
Boni (French Guiana): eye bulu wiwiri; Creole (French Guiana): alentou case, l'en tout case; English (French Guiana): racine-pistache; English (Guyana): fat-of-the-earth; English (Suriname): eiwit-wiwiri, eiwitblad, fladdiot
Uses
The plant is employed to remedy albumin in the urine and difficult urination (Ostendorf, 1962). In Guyana, as noted by Lachman-White et al. (1987), "The entire plant is used to make a tea which is used for palpitating heart conditions and to effect "cooling" of inflamed areas. The plant may be used with others, such as st. john's-bush (Justicia secunda ) and inflammation-bush (Vernonia cinerea ) as an abortifacient, it may be used as a lotion for ulcers, or, mixed with muniri-dan (Siparuna guianensis ) and taken orally, in treating diabetes". Said to be used in Guyana as a cooling drink for the head (Warren s.n.). Formerly, in French Guiana an infusion made from the entire crushed plant was used in Creole medicine for a diuretic and hypotensive drink.