Araceae
Caladium

Caladium bicolor (Aiton) Vent.

First published in Mag. Encycl. 4: 464 (1800)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Central America to Argentina (Salta). It is a tuberous geophyte and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome. It is used to treat unspecified medicinal disorders, has environmental uses and social uses, as a poison and a medicine and for food.

Descriptions

Araceae, S.J. Mayo. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1985

Morphology General Habit
Acaulescent herb with subglobose tuber.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blade peltate, cordate-sagittate, 13–37 cm. long, 9–26 cm. broad, above green, usually with white and red blotches, or with pink centre, many cultivated forms have various other variegations.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Peduncles
Peduncle 17–27 cm. long, erect.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Spathe
Spathe 7–13 cm. long, with subglobose, inflated green tube, blade white, boat-shaped, longer than tube, deciduous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spadix
Spadix shorter than spathe, lacking sterile appendix.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers unisexual, lacking tepals.
Distribution
Native of tropical America. Widely cultivated throughout the world as an ornamental plantnaturalized in parts of West Africa, Zanzibar and Pemba. The sap is irritant.
[FTEA]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Nativa y cultivada en Colombia; Alt. 30 - 2300 m.; Amazonia, Andes, Islas Caribeñas, Orinoquia, Pacífico, Valle del Magdalena.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
Conservation
No Evaluada
[CPLC]

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Morphology General Habit
Herb.
Ecology
Alt. 30 - 2300 m.
Distribution
Native and cultivated in Colombia.
[UPB]

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
boricá, corazón, corazón de Jesús, corazón herido, jaspeado, lágrimas de María, morrocoy, oreja de mula, pañoleta, pañueleta, penitente, platino, platino rosado, rascadera, rascaderilla, rayo
[UNAL]

Araceae, F. N. Hepper. Flora of West Tropical Africa 3:1. 1968

Ecology
Thoroughly naturalized in several West African countries, occurring on roadsides and shady waste places in the forest region
Morphology Leaves
Leaves attractively mottled or coloured, appearing at the same time as the flowers
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Spathe
Spathe greenish white.
[FWTA]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Amazonia, Andean, Caribbean, Orinoquia, Pacific. Elevation range: 30–2300 m a.s.l. Cultivated in Colombia. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Amazonas, Antioquia, Boyacá, Caquetá, Casanare, Cauca, Chocó, Cundinamarca, Magdalena, Meta, Nariño, Quindío, Risaralda, San Andrés y Providencia, Santander, Tolima, Valle del Cauca, Vaupés.
Habit
Herb.
Conservation
National Red List of Colombia (2021): Potential LC.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, native grassland, wetlands (inland), artificial - terrestrial.
Vernacular
Boricá, Corazón, Corazón de jesús, Corazóno herido, Jaspeado, Lágrimas de maría, Morrocoy, Oreja de mula, Pañoleta, Pañueleta, Penitente, Platillo
[UPFC]

Uses

Use Medicines Unspecified Medicinal Disorders
Medicinal (State of the World's Plants 2016).
[UPB]

Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Gene Sources
Used as gene sources.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
Use Poisons
Poisons.
Use Social
Social uses.
[UPFC]

Sources

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Colombian resources for Plants made Accessible

    • ColPlantA 2021. Published on the Internet at http://colplanta.org
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants of Boyacá Project

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0