Helicteres guazumifolia
StarHelicteres guazumifolia
Synonyms: Helicteres mexicana, Helicteres retinophylla, Helicteres carpinifolia, Helicteres biflora, Helicteres guazumifolia var. parvifolia, Helicteres baruensis
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
Helicteres guazumifolia is used in folk medicine by communities in northern South America and Mexico, where extracts of the bark, fruit and root are valued for gastrointestinal complaints; the bark in particular has documented astringent and anti-dysenteric use, and the plant is employed against dysentery and diarrhoea (Camacho-Hernandez et al., 2018; folk records from Sucre, Venezuela). In the Yucatan it is sold as a remedy for children slow to speak.
Gallery
Botanical Description
Helicteres guazumifolia is a shrub or small tree of the family Malvaceae (formerly Sterculiaceae), native from Mexico through Central America and tropical South America to Cuba, where it grows in scrub, dry forest and disturbed thickets. It bears alternate, ovate leaves with toothed margins, an obliquely heart-shaped base, palmate venation and a soft covering of stellate hairs reminiscent of its relative Guazuma, from which the epithet derives. The flowers are borne in small axillary clusters and have five greenish to reddish petals and a column of fused stamens and style. The most distinctive feature is the fruit, a cylindrical capsule formed of five carpels that become spirally twisted together like a screw or corkscrew, giving rise to local names such as tornillo and guacimo tornillo. The capsule splits at maturity to release numerous small seeds. The bark is fibrous and tannin-rich.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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