Warszewiczia coccinea
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Warszewiczia | ||||||||||||||
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Warszewiczia coccinea (Vahl) Klotzsch, 1853 |
Warszewiczia coccinea, known commonly as Chaconia, Wild Poinsettia, Pride of Trinidad and Tobago, is the national flower of Trinidad and Tobago, blooming on 31 August (Trinidad Independence Day).
This small, evergreen ornamental tree is remarkable for its inflorescence with bright red bracts and inconspicuous yellow petals.
The anise-odored roots are said to exhibit aphrodisiac properties.
A cultivar, the 'Double Chaconia', which has a double row of bracts, is the most widely cultivated form. This plant originates from cuttings taken from a wild plant found growing along a roadside. Since propagation from seed has not yet been successful, all Double Chaconias have been propagated by cuttings from this individual.