botanical record · discovered
Four-o-clock
Mirabilis jalapa
Four-o-clock · Akşamsefası · Aretito · Beauty of the Night · Belas-noites · Bella di notte · Bella di notte comune · Belle de nuit · Belle-de-nuit · Belle-de-nuit commune · Belle-de-nuit, Merveille du Pérou · Belle-de-nuit, Merveille du Pérou, Faux jalape · Boa-noite · Boas-noites · Bonina · Buenas Noches · Bunga Pukul Empat · Don Diego de Noche · Donpedros
At a glance
Origin / distribution: Turkey, Java, Mexico, Haiti, Malaya, Japan, China, US
Cultural traditions: not documented
Recorded uses: Abscess, Alterative, Boil, Bruise
Science studied: BETA-AMYRIN, BETA-AMYRIN-ALPHA-L-RHAMNOSYL-O-BETA-D-GLUCOSIDE, ARABINOSE, GALACTOSE
Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗
Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.
Names and identity
Family: Nyctaginaceae
Scientific name: Mirabilis jalapa
Common names: Four-o-clock, Akşamsefası, Aretito, Beauty of the Night, Belas-noites, Bella di notte, Bella di notte comune, Belle de nuit, Belle-de-nuit, Belle-de-nuit commune, Belle-de-nuit, Merveille du Pérou, Belle-de-nuit, Merveille du Pérou, Faux jalape, Boa-noite, Boas-noites, Bonina, Buenas Noches, Bunga Pukul Empat, Don Diego de Noche, Donpedros
History
The source record documents this plant in Turkey, Java, Elsewhere, Mexico, Haiti, Malaya, Japan, China and 10 additional places.
It records these historical or traditional applications:
- Abscess
- Alterative
- Boil
- Bruise
- Carminative
- Cathartic
- Colic
- Cosmetic
show 26 more documented entries
- Diabetes
- Diuretic
- Dropsy
- Hepatitis
- Herpes
- Hydragogue
- Itch
- Pimple
- Purgative
- Rash
- Sore
- Tonic
- Tumor
- Urticaria
- Uterosis
- Vermifuge
- Wound
- Poison
- Carbuncle
- Gonorrhea
- Hypochondria
- Liver
- Splenitis
- Stomachic
- Strain
- Repellant(Insect)
This summary is limited to the cited source record.
Origins and distribution
- Turkey
- Java
- Elsewhere
- Mexico
- Haiti
- Malaya
- Japan
- China
- US
- Dominican Republic
- Iraq
- Spain
show 6 more documented entries
- Venezuela
- Hawaii
- Pakistan
- West Indies
- India
- Africa
Documented cultural uses
- Abscess
- Alterative
- Boil
- Bruise
- Carminative
- Cathartic
- Colic
- Cosmetic
- Diabetes
- Diuretic
- Dropsy
- Hepatitis
show 22 more documented entries
- Herpes
- Hydragogue
- Itch
- Pimple
- Purgative
- Rash
- Sore
- Tonic
- Tumor
- Urticaria
- Uterosis
- Vermifuge
- Wound
- Poison
- Carbuncle
- Gonorrhea
- Hypochondria
- Liver
- Splenitis
- Stomachic
- Strain
- Repellant(Insect)
Contemporary uses
Contemporary practice is not documented separately in this record.
Scientific research
Indexed records indicate research activity; they do not establish efficacy or safety.
Indexed research records
- Mirabilis jalapa mannanase-mediated mannose promotes root development in Arabidopsis via the MYB41-DWF4 module regulating brassinosteroid signaling pathways. · 2026 source ↗
- Transcriptome Analysis Revealed Potential Regulatory Networks Underlying Corolla Movement in <i>Mirabilis jalapa</i> (Nyctaginaceae). · 2026 source ↗
- Insights into the synergistic mechanism of petroleum-degrading bacterial consortium and Mirabilis jalapa L. combined remediation of crude oil-contaminated saline-alkali soil · 2026 source ↗
Scientific compounds
Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.
- BETA-AMYRIN
- BETA-AMYRIN-ALPHA-L-RHAMNOSYL-O-BETA-D-GLUCOSIDE
- ARABINOSE
- GALACTOSE
- N-HEXACOSANOL
- RESIN
- BETA-SITOSTEROL
- 12-TRIACONSANONE
- TRIGONELLINE
- FAT
- PROTEIN
- BETA-SITOSTEROL-BETA-D-GLUCOSIDE
Legality
Country-specific legal status is not documented in this record.
Consult the CITES species checklist for international trade protections and listings. This is not a complete statement of local law.
Reference images

Sources
Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases · CC0
GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0
show claim source mapping
CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive
Contributions and revisions
No published revisions are documented for this record. Community submissions enter review and retain attribution before any published change.
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