Psychotria elata, a neotropical plant in the family Rubiaceae, has become internet-famous because of its flowers—or rather the shape of the red bracts (modified leaves) before the flowers mature. As The Amusing Planet notes:
These gorgeous pair of red, luscious lips belong to a plant known as Psychotria elata, a tropical tree found in the rain forests of Central and South American countries like Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama and Ecuador. Affectionately, Psychotria elata is called Hooker’s Lips or the Hot Lips Plants. The plant has apparently evolved into its current shape to attract pollinators including hummingbirds and butterflies. According to Oddity Central, the bracts are only kissable for a short while, before they spread open to reveal the plant’s flowers.
Without having seen it, I am still 100% sure that Central and South American kids pick these bracts and run around with them in their mouths.
In the end, though, I think a less salacious and more appropriate name would be “Marilyn Monroe lips”
Or Audrey II.
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+1
These plant name is Psychotria Elata.
“These plant name is Psychotria Elata”
Quite, it’s written in the article for us all to see, easily. But what I am responding to is…
– when you write the second part (I won’t go into the actual name, it gets confusing), you always write/type the first letter in lower case. So…
‘Psychotria Elata’ becomes ‘Psychotria elata’.
Well, if you’re going to be pedantic, the binomial should be in italics: Psychotria elata. 😀
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Indeed, but I did not know how to present italics here ! (let me know, please)…
<i>xxx</i>
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*Try again: <i>xxx</i>
Or Mae West Lips?
If it had a tongue, it’d be the Stones….
b&
+1 I was just about to type “Or Jagger’s Lips?” 😛
They look more like Angelina’s than Audrey’s, I think.
Other flowers with anthropomorphic or animal shapes also exist. Here are some monkey faced orchids.
I’ve always wondered if there were flowers shaped like a bit of a human female then human males would pollinate it in the same way wasps and bees do with some orchids. Some awkward questions need to be asked.
“I am still 100% sure that Central and South American kids pick these bracts and run around with them in their mouths.”
When trying to find more I found this image – http://www.strangeorwhat.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Hookers-Kissing-Lips-Flower-Psychotria-Elata-09.jpg
“MMonroe lips!” Perfect match.
“Without having seen it, I am still 100% sure that Central and South American kids pick these bracts and run around with them in their mouths.”
I can tell you with certainty that certain academic botanists do. 🙂
I’d do it….the plant is made for it – you have no choice! 🙂
How about the legume Clitoria?http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clitoria
…which also happens to be a good ground cover / green manure, and I think is also popular for pastures for forage for ruminants.
When I finally get my garden going, it’s on the short list for the first thing to go in the ground.
b&
Never seen one that colour, though…
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I thought it was Botanical practice to capitalize the first letter of the trivial epithet if it was derived from a person’s name. Looking around, Either I was mistaken or it is no longer the case.
There is no overlap between codes for Botanical and Zoological nomenclature. Thus a plant and animal can have the same scientific name. For example Adenia is a genus of both passion flowers and killifish.
An interesting example of the confusion this can lead to is obtained if you Google “Dunnock”. The Dunnock is a small song-bird, Prunella modularis. The summary box at top right of the Google results page gives the following information:
“Scientific name: Prunella modularis
Rank: Species
Higher classification: Self-heal.”
Self-heal is a plant, Prunella vulgaris, which is a member of the Labiaceae.
Reblogged this on Mark Solock Blog.