Callisia fragrans

Callisia fragrans, sometimes called the false bromeliad or false bromeliad plant, is a flowering plant species of the genus Callisia, in the spiderwort family, Commelinaceae that is native to Mexico.^[1]

Callisia fragrans
Sarchí Norte, Costa Rica
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Clade:	Commelinids
Order:	Commelinales
Family:	Commelinaceae
Genus:	Callisia
Species:	C. fragrans
Binomial name
Callisia fragrans (Lindl.) Woodson
Synonyms[1][2]
Spironema orthandrum Lindb. Rectanthera fragrans (Lindl.) O. Deg. Spironema fragrans Lindl.

Description

A flowering clump

A robust, perennial herbaceous plant, the fleshy stem of Callisia fragrans can grow to a height of 1.5 m (4.9 ft). The leaves are 25 cm (9.8 in) long and become burgundy-violet if exposed to more prolonged sunlight (an example of "sun-stressing").

Flowering shoots are bromeliad-like, vigorous, and covered with almost rosette-like leaves. They are sparsely branched. Long, fairly slender, distichous stolons emerge from the lower nodes. The leaves of flowering shoots are up to 30 centimeters long and 7 centimeters wide. They are bright light green, narrowly elliptic-lanceolate, pointed, almost stem-clasping, and usually glabrous.

Inflorescence

Close-up of the small flowers

The almost sessile, small white flowers are fragrant, which occur from late winter to spring.^[3] The spreading inflorescence consists of terminal panicles with crowded branches. The sessile, paired whorls are borne on papery bracts up to 2 centimeters long. heir bristly sepals are 3.5 to 5 millimeters long and 1.5 to 2 millimeters wide.

The lanceolate to ovate, white petals have no flat blade. They are 5 to 6 millimeters long and 2.5 to 3.5 millimeters wide. The six long, protruding, white stamens are more conspicuous than the petals. Their connectives are membranous. The stigma is brush-shaped.^[4][5]

Range and cultivation

Callisia fragrans, also called golden tendril is endemic to Mexico (from Tamaulipas to Yucatán), and naturalized in the West Indies, scattered locations in the United States, and a few other places.^[2][6] It has been cultivated in many countries as an indoor ornamental since the early 1900s.^[7] However, it can be also found growing outdoors in warmer climates in moist, fertile soil. The herb likes partially shaded areas.

Medicinal properties

It has a rich traditional reputation in Mexico as an antiviral and antimicrobial plant. In Eastern Europe, its leaves are used for the treatment of various skin diseases, burns and joint disorders.^[7] An ethanol leaf extract (tincture) has been shown to effectively inhibit the infection of Vero cells by HSV-1, HSV-2 and an ACV-resistant strain of the latter, in vitro. However, the ethanol extract, as opposed to an aquatic extract, was ineffective against VZV.^[7]

Though the ethanol leaf extract had a lower selectivity index (toxicity vs. effectiveness) than ACV, it was able to inhibit the HSV-2 mutant, and may be less toxic than ACV. Direct interaction with the viruses, and the blocking of their access to l host cells, seems to be involved.^[7]