''Trichanthera gigantea'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

in the acanthus family, Acanthaceae.Vogel, S., et al. (2004)
''Harpochilus neesianus'' and other novel cases of chiropterophily in neotropical Acanthaceae.
''Taxon'' 53(1) 55-60. The species is known by many common names, including ''madre de agua'', ''suiban'', ''cenicero'', ''tuno'', ''naranjillo'', and ''palo de agua''. It is native to Central America and northern South America. McDade, L. A. (1983)
Pollination intensity and seed set in ''Trichanthera gigantea'' (Acanthaceae).
''Biotropica'' 15(2) 122-24.
tropicalforages.info. It has also been introduced to other tropical regions such as

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...

, and the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

.Rosales, M. (1997)
''Trichanthera gigantea'' (Humboldt & Bonpland.) Nees: A review.
''Livestock Research for Rural Development'' 9 4. This plant is a

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

growing up to 5 meters tall, though a 15-meter specimen was reported once. It often produces aerial roots. The oval or oblong leaves are up to 26 centimeters long by 14 wide and are borne on short petioles. The flower is maroon with a yellow throat. It is bell-shaped and the throat measures up to 2.5 centimeters long. The plant blooms in the afternoon and the flowers fall away during the night. The flowers are pollinated by

bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most bi ...

s. The bat ''

Glossophaga soricina Pallas's long-tongued bat (''Glossophaga soricina'') is a South and Central American bat with a fast metabolism that feeds on nectar. Metabolism It has the fastest metabolism ever recorded in a mammal, similar to those of hummingbirds. Althou ...

'' has been seen at the flowers of this species. This plant is cultivated as an animal

fodder Fodder (), also called provender (), is any agriculture, agricultural foodstuff used specifically to feed domesticated livestock, such as cattle, domestic rabbit, rabbits, sheep, horses, chickens and pigs. "Fodder" refers particularly to food g ...

and fed to

duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form t ...

s,Nhan, N. T. H. and N. V. Hon. (1999)
Supplementing rice by-products with foliage of ''Trichanthera gigantea'' in diets of growing and lactating pigs and fattening ducks.
''Livestock Research for Rural Development'' 11 3.

pig The pig (''Sus domesticus''), often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when distinguishing from other members of the genus '' Sus'', is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of ''Sus s ...

s,Jaya, A. F., et al. (2008)
Utilization of madre de agua (''Trichanthera gigantea'' var. ''guianensis'') leaf meal as feed for growing-finishing pigs.
''Philippine J Vet Anim Sci'' and

rabbit Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit speci ...

s.Luyen, L. T., et al (2003)
Growing Mulberry and ''Trichanthera gigantea'' in association with ''Flemingia macrophylla'' on sloping land and using the foliages as feeds for rabbits.
In: Proceedings of Final National Seminar-Workshop on Sustainable Livestock Production on Local Feed Resources (Editors: Reg Preston and Brian Ogle). HUAF-SAREC, Hue City, 25 – 28 March 2003 Its leaves are relatively rich in protein.Heuzé V., Tran G., Boudon A., Bastianelli D., 2017. Nacedero (Trichanthera gigantea). Feedipedia, a programme by INRA, CIRAD, AFZ and FAO. https://www.feedipedia.org/node/7270 Last updated on June 26, 2017, 15:09 It has veterinary uses in

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

, where it has been used to treat

horse colic Colic in horses is defined as abdominal pain, but it is a clinical symptom rather than a diagnosis. The term colic can encompass all forms of gastrointestinal conditions which cause pain as well as other causes of abdominal pain not involving the g ...

and

retained placenta Retained placenta is a condition in which all or part of the placenta or membranes remain in the uterus during the third stage of labour. Retained placenta can be broadly divided into: * failed separation of the placenta from the uterine lining * p ...

cow Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ma ...

s. This plant also has many uses for humans. It has uses in human medicine, including as a supplement to increase lactation in nursing mothers. It is used as a living fence and a shade tree.

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q5393302 Acanthaceae Flora of Central America Flora of Southern America Trees of Peru Trees of Colombia