Brunfelsia australis
Brunfelsia australis
Safety & Hazards
The foliage is said to be poisonous to grazing animals[ 563 Title Botanical Museum Leaflets Vol 25 Publication Author Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher Botanical Museum; Massachusetts. Year 1977 ISBN Description Contains an article on medicinal and poisonous plants in the Amazon. It can be downloaded from the Internet. ]. Although providing many well-known foods for people, including the potato, tomato, pepper and aubergine, most plants in the family Solanaceae also contain poisonous alkaloids. Unless there are specific entries with information on edible uses, it would be unwise to ingest any part of this plant[ K Title Plants for a Future Author Ken Fern Description Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips. ].
Botanical Description
Brunfelsia australis is an evergreen shrub or small tree with ascending, spreading branches; it can grow 2 - 4 metres tall. The short bole can be 8cm in diameter[ 929 Title A Revision of the South American Species of Brunfelsia (Solanaceae) Publication Fieldiana Botany New Series No. 39 Author Plowman T.C. Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher Field Museum of Natural History; Chicago. Year 1998 ISBN 0015-0746 Description A botanical journal, this edition is devoted entirely to the revision of the genus Brunfelsia in S. America. It can be downloaded from the Internet. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food condiment and medicine. The entire plant is frequently covered with fragrant, showy purple and white flowers at the same time, making this species a valuable ornamental - it is cultivated throughout the tropics and subtropics[ 929 Title A Revision of the South American Species of Brunfelsia (Solanaceae) Publication Fieldiana Botany New Series No. 39 Author Plowman T.C. Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher Field Museum of Natural History; Chicago. Year 1998 ISBN 0015-0746 Description A botanical journal, this edition is devoted entirely to the revision of the genus Brunfelsia in S. America. It can be downloaded from the Internet. ]. The flower opens purple with a white eye and changes from purple to lavender on the second day and to white on the third.