Psychotria elata

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Palicourea elata, formerly Psychotria elata, commonly known as girlfriend kiss and labios de puta, is a tropical plant that ranges from Central to South American rain forests in countries such as Mexico, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, and Colombia. Palicourea elata is extremely sensitive and requires specific climates to grow, those climates most like rainforests are best suitable for this plant. It is most notable for its distinctly shaped red bracts and is consequently nicknamed “Hot Lips”. Though the bright red bracts are considered its most flashy feature, they are not the actual flowers of the plant but instead extravagant leaves; the flowers of Palicourea elata lie within the “red lip” leaves. Just like human lips, the hot lips plant comes in a variety of shapes and forms offering a vast array of plants. P. elata is well-studied and has been documented over centuries to provide various health benefits to native communities. Due to these benefits and the overall appearance of the plant, it has been over-harvested and is now endangered.

Description

 

P. elata flower in bloom

Palicourea elata can be described as a shrub that is part of the Rubiaceae family, also commonly known as the coffee, madder, or bedstraw family. The Rubiaceae family is recognizable for having simple, opposite leaves with interpetiolar stipules and can come in the form of terrestrial trees, herbs, lianas, or shrubs like P. elata. This plant will typically be found in the understory layer of rain forests. This species can grow from 1 to 3 m (3.3 to 9.8 ft), occasionally reaching 4 m (13 ft) in height. The plant’s morphology can be quite variable as it is directly affected by the neighborhood structure of nearby plants, and overall light availability that the plant has access to. These variables, as well as the general resources available to the plant, have been shown to effect the biomechanics, allometry, and branching of P. elata, which, in turn, can effect height and leaf count.

The most distinctive features of P. elata are its red bracts, a modified set of leaves. Before its flowers bloom, the bracts resemble a pair of human lips. The flowers of P. elata bloom from December to March and can be described as small, star-shaped flowers. P. elata is part of the genus Palicourea, and, as many plants of this genus, does not give off a scent. Due to the undetectable scent, the plant relies on its shape alone to attract pollinators, such as butterflies and hummingbirds. Once pollination and fertilization occurs, P. elata produces small black or dark blue berries. These berries are then distributed via birds; a common mechanism that plants of the Palicoura genus use.

Palicourea elata - Wikipedia

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