<em>Hippobroma longiflora</em>

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Hippobroma longiflora - Star of Bethlehem

In my place, this plant is known by the name Korejat or Kitolod. This plant is well known as it can be used to clean the eyes. Just put the flowers in the water for some time, then dropped the water into the eyes. The eyes will sting for a while, but after that the view will become more clear.

These plants grow wild in my yard.

According to Wikipedia, this plant is notable for its concentrations of two pyridine alkaloids: lobeline and nicotine. The effects of nicotine and lobeline are quite similar, with psychoactive effects at small dosages and with unpleasant effects including vomiting, muscle paralysis, and trembling at higher dosages. For this reason, H. longiflora (and its various synonyms) is often referenced for both its toxicity and its ethnobotanical uses.

English names: Madam Fate, Madamfate, Star Flower, Star of Bethlehem, Star-Of-Bethlehem

Scientific Classification of Hippobroma longiflora - Star of Bethlehem

Superdomain Neomura

Domain Eukaryota Whittaker & Margulis, 1978 – lifeforms with nucletic cells

(unranked) Archaeplastida Adl et al. 2005

Kingdom Plantae Haeckel, 1866 – plants

Superdivision Spermatophyta - Seed plants

Division Angiospermae Lindley [P.D. Cantino & M.J. Donoghue]; atau Magnoliophyta Cronquist, Takht. & W.Zimm., 1966 — flowering plants

clade Eudicots Doyle & Hotton, 1991

clade Core eudicots Doyle & Hotton, 1991

clade: Asterids

clade: Euasterids II

Order Asterales Lindley

Family Campanulaceae Juss. – Bellflower family (contains about 2000 species, in 70 genera)

Genus Hippobroma G. Don

Species H. longiflora

Binomial/Scientific name: Hippobroma longiflora (L.) G. Don

Synonyms

Isotoma longiflora C. Presl

Laurentia longiflora Endl.

Lobelia longiflora

References:

Wikipedia classification:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippobroma_longiflora
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippobroma
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campanulaceae
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asterales
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euasterids_II
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Core_eudicots
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flowering_plant
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spermatophyta
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vascular_plant
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaeplastida
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eukaryota
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neomura

Other classification:

www.biolib.cz/en/taxonposition/id203797/
zipcodezoo.com/Plants/H/Hippobroma_longiflora

Photos of Hippobroma longiflora - Star of Bethlehem were taken using a camera phone Sony Ericsson K800i in the backyard in Jonggol, West Java, Indonesia.