Puneet Varma (Editor)

Psychotria nervosa

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Kingdom
  
Family
  
Scientific name
  
Psychotria nervosa

Order
  
Genus
  
Psychotria

Rank
  
Species

Psychotria nervosa wwwfnpsorgassetsimagesplantsPsychotrianervo

Similar
  
Psychotria ligustrifolia, Wild coffee, Forestiera segregata, Psychotria punctata, Hamelia patens

Psychotria nervosa, also known as Seminole balsamo or wild coffee, is a shade tolerant medium-sized shrub native to Florida as well as the West Indies and Central and South America. It produces a "small, red, ellipsoid fruit" that resembles "the true coffee bean" in shape and attract birds. Its maximum height ranges from approximately 4-10 feet.

Psychotria nervosa Florida Native Plant Society

Despite its common name of wild coffee, this species is not known to contain any caffeine. In recounting anecdotes from others, the Florida ethnobotanist, Dan Austin, reported that the use of the seeds as a coffee substitute resulted in "only bad taste and terrible headaches." A similar account reported no known usage as a coffee substitute in Jamaica and noted the morphological similarity of its seed to coffee, the more likely reason for its common name being wild coffee. Reports of DMT in this species are also unsubstantiated.

Psychotria nervosa Psychotria nervosa Psychotria ligustrifolia Psychotria lanceolata

"The leaves of this plant are generally 6 inches long and are narrowly obovate in shape. These glossy green leaves are puckered with impressed veins on the upper surfaces of the leaf blades, and there is pubescence along the veins on the leaf undersides. The shiny, dark green foliage gives a rich texture to any landscape. The small, white inflorescence occurs terminally on the branchlets during the warm months of the year. Each flower is a sessile or stalked, open, short cyme."

Psychotria nervosa psychotrianervosa515103sJPG

Psychotria nervosa time lapse


Psychotria nervosa Native Florida Coffee Species Psychotria ligustrifolia P nervosa

Psychotria nervosa Psychotria nervosa Psychotria ligustrifolia Psychotria lanceolata

Psychotria nervosa Psychotria nervosaLandscape Plants For South Florida

References

Psychotria nervosa Wikipedia