''Galphimia glauca'', also known as rain of gold, golden showers, thryallis and shower of gold, is a flowering shrub in the
Malpighiaceae
Malpighiaceae is a family of flowering plants in the order Malpighiales. It comprises about 73 genera and 1315 species, all of which are native to the tropics and subtropics. About 80% of the genera and 90% of the species occur in the New World ( ...
It is an evergreen, erect shrub with branched taproot system that reaches a height of up to 1.8 to 3 metres. The alternate leaves are ovate or elongate, green above and bluish green below which may become bronze coloured during the cold. The sweet-scented flowers are yellow in color, 2 cm in size, with 5 petals and sepals, and are produced in flowery racemes. The plant can bloom in cycles all year round in the right conditions and under full sun, but mostly from early spring to the first frost.Galphimia glauca CAV. A. Vogel. Plant Encyclopedia. Retrieved 6 June, 2023. plantcaretoday.com. Retrieved 6 June, 2023.
''Galphimia glauca'' is told apart from ''
Galphimia gracilis
''Galphimia gracilis'', a species in the genus '' Galphimia'' of the family Malpighiaceae, is native to eastern Mexico. It is widely cultivated in warm regions throughout the world, often under the common names gold shower or shower-of-gold, sl ...
'' by the flowers; in ''G. gracilis'' the petals fall as the fruit matures, whereas in ''G. glauca'' the petals remain put even in fruit.
Distribution
It is native to Mexico,
Guatemala
Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...
and Panama, where it is found in semi-warm and temperate climates between 920 and 2600 m
asl
American Sign Language (ASL) is a natural language that serves as the predominant sign language of Deaf communities in the United States of America and most of Anglophone Canada. ASL is a complete and organized visual language that is express ...
, where it grows in fields associated with disturbed vegetation of deciduous and evergreen tropical forests, xeric scrub, oak, pine and
juniper
Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' () of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arcti ...
forests. The plant can adapt to drier climates and can resist mild frosts of up to -2º C.
Medicinal uses
The plant's fruits contain high vitamin C. In Mexican folk medicine, a tea is infused from the plant's leaves to relieve
chest pain
Chest pain is pain or discomfort in the chest, typically the front of the chest. It may be described as sharp, dull, pressure, heaviness or squeezing. Associated symptoms may include pain in the shoulder, arm, upper abdomen, or jaw, along with n ...
gastroenteritis
Gastroenteritis, also known as infectious diarrhea and gastro, is an inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract including the stomach and intestine. Symptoms may include diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Fever, lack of energy, and dehydra ...
anticonvulsant
Anticonvulsants (also known as antiepileptic drugs or recently as antiseizure drugs) are a diverse group of pharmacological agents used in the treatment of epileptic seizures. Anticonvulsants are also increasingly being used in the treatment of b ...
, an
anti-allergic
Allergies, also known as allergic diseases, refer a number of conditions caused by the hypersensitivity of the immune system to typically harmless substances in the environment. These diseases include hay fever, food allergies, atopic derma ...
medication and a
sedative
A sedative or tranquilliser is a substance that induces sedation by reducing irritability or excitement. They are CNS depressants and interact with brain activity causing its deceleration. Various kinds of sedatives can be distinguished, but t ...
, because it contains a variety of therapeutic compounds, including quercetin,
phenolic
Phenolic is an adjective and a substantive (noun) that may apply to :
* Phenol (or carbolic acid), a colorless crystalline solid and aromatic compound
* Phenols, a class of chemical compounds that include phenol
* Phenolic content in wine
* Phenol ...
s,
triterpenoid
Triterpenes are a class of chemical compounds composed of three terpene units with the molecular formula C30H48; they may also be thought of as consisting of six isoprene units. Animals, plants and fungi all produce triterpenes, including squale ...
Tristellateia australasiae
''Tristellateia australasiae'', also known as maiden's jealousy, showers of gold climber and Australian gold vine, is a climbing plant in the Malpighiaceae family that is native to Southeast Asia and northern Australia.vine in the same family also called "shower of gold"