Butterfly-bush
StarRotheca myricoides
Synonyms: Clerodendrum myricoides, Cyclonema myricoides, Cyrtostemma myricoides, Siphonanthus myricoides, Spironema myricoides
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
Rotheca myricoides is an important medicinal plant across East Africa, particularly in Kenya. The roots are widely used to treat a broad range of complaints including gonorrhea, typhoid, epilepsy, arthritis, rheumatism, coughs and colds, toothache, malaria and urinary retention, while the Kamba people of lower eastern Kenya boil and drink the leaves daily to manage diabetes (Njoroge & Bussmann, 2006). Pharmacological studies have lent support to these uses, demonstrating significant antihyperglycaemic and antidyslipidaemic effects of root extracts (Mwangi et al., 2019), as well as documented anti-inflammatory and diuretic activity of the root bark.
Gallery
Botanical Description
Rotheca myricoides, formerly Clerodendrum myricoides and known as the blue butterfly bush or blue glory bower, is a variable shrub of the mint family (Lamiaceae) widespread across eastern and southern Africa. It grows as a slender, often scrambling shrub up to several metres tall, with simple to lobed, toothed leaves arranged in whorls or opposite pairs along the stems. Its distinctive flowers have four pale upper petals and a deeper violet-blue lower lip, with long arching stamens and style projecting well beyond the corolla, giving the bloom a butterfly-like or insect-like appearance; the fruit is a small fleshy drupe that turns black when ripe. The species occupies a wide range of habitats from bushland and wooded grassland to forest margins and rocky slopes, and is also grown ornamentally. Several geographic forms differ in leaf shape and flower size across its broad African distribution.
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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