| Tetrazygia bicolor | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Magnoliophyta |
| Class: | Magnoliopsida |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Melastomataceae |
| Genus: | Tetrazygia |
| Species: | T. bicolor |
| Binomial name | |
| Tetrazygia bicolor (Mill.) Cogn. |
|
Tetrazygia bicolor (Pronunciation: tet-truh-ZIG-ee-uh BI-cull-ler) is a species flowering plant in the glory bush family, Melastomataceae, that is native to southern Florida in the United States and the Caribbean. Common names include Florida Tetrazygia and West Indian Lilac.[1]
T. bicolor is a shrub that reaches a height of 3 to 9 m (9.8 to 30 ft). The shrub is multi-trunked, the stems' colour can be green or reddish. Its evergreen lanceolate leaves are 10 to 20 cm (3.9 to 7.9 in) long and have three parallel conspicuous veins which run lengthwise. The plant flowers during the spring and summer. The flowers are white or pinkish and the oval fruit is brown and attracts birds.
The shrub grows in the subtropical wetlands of Everglades. It prefers partial shade and grows in acidic, alkaline, sand, loam and clay soils. It has a high drought tolerance but will also grow on well-drained soils.
West Indian Lilac appears in the 1993 film Jurassic Park, where a Triceratops gets blisters on its tongue when it eats some of the shrub. In the book however, it is a Stegosaur which eats only the berries from the ground, not the plant itself.
Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Tetrazygia_bicolor Tetrazygia bicolor] at Wikimedia Commons Data related to Tetrazygia bicolor at Wikispecies