Rubiaceae
Nertera

Nertera granadensis (Mutis ex L.f.) Druce

First published in Rep. Bot. Soc. Exch. Club Brit. Isles 4: 637 (1917)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Madagascar, Tropical & Subtropical Asia to Pacific, Caribbean, Mexico to S. South America, Subantarctic Islands. It is a subshrub and grows primarily in the temperate biome. It is used as animal food, a medicine and invertebrate food, has environmental uses and social uses and for food.

Descriptions

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
coral, coral de agua, coralito, coralito de agua, coralitos, tomatillo, uvita de agua, yerba de sapo
[UNAL]

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 en Colombia; Alt. 1300 - 4300 m.; Andes.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba, trepadora
Conservation
Preocupación Menor
[CPLC]

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Morphology General Habit
Herb.
Distribution
Native from Colombia.
Ecology
Alt. 1300 - 4300 m.
Conservation
Not Evaluated.
[UPB]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 1300–4300 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Arauca, Bogotá DC, Boyacá, Caldas, Cauca, Cesar, Chocó, Cundinamarca, Huila, Magdalena, Meta, Nariño, Norte de Santander, Putumayo, Quindío, Risaralda, Santander, Tolima, Valle del Cauca.
Habit
Herb, Climbing.
Conservation
National Red List of Colombia (2021): Potential LC.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, native grassland, inland rocky areas, desert, artificial - terrestrial.
Vernacular
Coral, Coral de agua, Coralito, Coralito de agua, Coralitos, Tomatillo, Uvita de agua, Yerba de sapo
[UPFC]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Uses

Use Environmental
Live plant (in situ) - Conservation of water resources (Cadena-Gonzalez et al. 2013).
Use Medicines Unspecified Medicinal Disorders
Medicinal (State of the World's Plants 2016).
Use Environmental Erosion Control
Live plant (in situ) - Soil protection (Florez-Cárdenas et al. 2010).
Use Environmental Ornamentals
Live plant (in situ) - Ornamental (Florez-Cárdenas et al. 2010).
Use Medicines Neoplasms
Folk medicine: used to prevent cancer (Galvis & Morales 2010).
[UPB]

Use Animal Food
Used as animal food.
Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Invertebrate Food
Used as invertebrate food.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
Use Social
Social uses.
[UPFC]

Common Names

Spanish
Nertera, planta de las canicas, baya de coral, coralito.

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

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

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • 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 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 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 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 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
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/