''Browallia'' is a small

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

of seven species of flowering plants (mostly annuals though occasionally shrubs or ephemerophytes) belonging to the nightshade

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Solanaceae. Armando T. Hunziker: The Genera of Solanaceae. A.R.G. Gantner Verlag K.G., Ruggell, Liechtenstein 2001. , pps. 87-89 inclusive. It is named after Johannes Browallius (1707–1755), also known as Johan Browall, a Swedish botanist, physician and bishop.Genaust, Helmut (1976). ''Etymologisches Wörterbuch der botanischen Pflanzennamen'' The genus is closely related to the

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispe ...

genus '' Streptosolen'', the single species of which was published initially under the name ''Browallia jamesonii''. ''Browallia'' species are found from southern

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

in the north, southward through

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

and the

Antilles The Antilles (; gcf, label=Antillean Creole, Antiy; es, Antillas; french: Antilles; nl, Antillen; ht, Antiy; pap, Antias; Jamaican Patois: ''Antiliiz'') is an archipelago bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the south and west, the Gulf of Mex ...

to andine

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...

, reaching as far south as Bolivia.

Species

'At least 17 binomials,at the specific level,have been proposed for this difficult genus; no doubt that a critical sound treatment is badly needed to clarify its obscure taxonomy' - Armando Hunziker (2001)

* '' Browallia abbreviata'' Benth. * '' Browallia acutiloba'' A.S. Alva & O.D. Carranza * '' Browallia americana'' L. - Jamaican forget-me-not * '' Browallia dilloniana'' Limo, K. Lezama & S. Leiva * '' Browallia eludens'' R.K.VanDevender & P.D.Jenkins - Arizona/yellow bush-violet * '' Browallia mirabilis'' S. Leiva * '' Browallia speciosa'' Hook. - Amethyst flower or bush-violet

Use in Colombian folk medicine

The Ingano of

Mocoa Mocoa () (Kamsá: Shatjok) is a municipality and capital city of the department of Putumayo in Colombia. The city is located in the northwest of the Putumayo department Putumayo () is a department of Southern Colombia. It is in the south- ...

in the Colombian department of Putumayo chew the leaves of ''Browallia speciosa'' to a pulp and pack the resultant material around decaying

molars The molars or molar teeth are large, flat teeth at the back of the mouth. They are more developed in mammals. They are used primarily to grind food during chewing. The name ''molar'' derives from Latin, ''molaris dens'', meaning "millstone to ...

to alleviate the pain of

toothache Toothache, also known as dental pain,Segen JC. (2002). ''McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine''. The McGraw-Hill Companies. is pain in the teeth or their supporting structures, caused by dental diseases or pain referred to the t ...

.Schultes, Richard Evans and Raffauf, Robert F. ''The Healing Forest - Medicinal and Toxic Plants of the Northwest Amazonia'', pub. Dioscorides Press, Portland, Oregon (an imprint of Timber Press,Inc.) 1990 pps. 418-19.

Gallery

File:Browallia americana closeup.jpg, Close-up of flowers of ''Browallia americana''. Self-seeded, garden plant. File:Browallia americana, the Amethyst Flower (11413416736).jpg, Flower and foliage of ''Browallia americana'', wild plant, Costa Rica. File:Browallia americana 2017-09-26 4687.jpg, Flower and buds of ''Browallia americana'', in profile,showing pubescent corolla tube and sticky

trichomes Trichomes (); ) are fine outgrowths or appendages on plants, algae, lichens, and certain protists. They are of diverse structure and function. Examples are hairs, glandular hairs, scales, and papillae. A covering of any kind of hair on a plant ...

of calyces. File:Browallia americana 2017-09-26 4685.jpg, Fruiting calyces of ''Browallia americana''. File:Browallia speciosa Marine Bells 1zz.jpg, ''Browallia speciosa'' cultivar "Marine Bells". Cultivated plant. File:Streptosolen jamesonii ( Solanaceae, subfamily Cestroideae ).jpg, '' Streptosolen'' : a monotypic genus closely related to the genus Browallia. ''S. jamesonii'' was formerly classified as a Browallia and is still sometimes known colloquially as "Orange Browallia".

Species

Use in Colombian folk medicine

Gallery

References

Further reading