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botanical illustration of Raichie, Melochia tomentosa

botanical record · discovered

Raichie

Melochia tomentosa

Raichie · Tea Bush · Basora Corra · Basora Kòrá · Betonica · Betoonika · Black Torch · Black Widow · Bois champignon · Bretónica afelpada · Bretónica afelpada; Broom weed · Broom wood · Gulf teabush · Malva rosa · Malva-roxa · Pyramid bush · Teabush · Velvety melochia · chichibe · malva de los cerros · teabush

At a glance

Origin / distribution: Venezuela, Curacao, Bahamas

Cultural traditions: not documented

Recorded uses: Eye, Tea, Ache(Back), Refrigerant

Science studied: MELOCHINONE, MELOSATIN-A, MELOSATIN-B

Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗

Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.

Names and identity

Family: Sterculiaceae

Scientific name: Melochia tomentosa

Common names: Raichie, Tea Bush, Basora Corra, Basora Kòrá, Betonica, Betoonika, Black Torch, Black Widow, Bois champignon, Bretónica afelpada, Bretónica afelpada; Broom weed, Broom wood, Gulf teabush, Malva rosa, Malva-roxa, Pyramid bush, Teabush, Velvety melochia, chichibe, malva de los cerros, teabush

POWO: 157023-2 · WCVP June 2026 / POWO backbone

History

The source record documents this plant in Venezuela, Curacao, Bahamas.

It records these historical or traditional applications:

  • Eye
  • Tea
  • Ache(Back)
  • Refrigerant

This summary is limited to the cited source record.

Origins and distribution

  • Venezuela
  • Curacao
  • Bahamas

Documented cultural uses

  • Eye
  • Tea
  • Ache(Back)
  • Refrigerant

Cultural record detail

These entries are transcribed from the cited ethnobotanical source; they do not represent current advice or a claim of efficacy.

  • Eye · Venezuela · "
  • Tea · Curacao · "
  • Ache(Back) · Bahamas · "
  • Refrigerant · Venezuela · "

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

  • A new monopartite begomovirus infecting Melochia tomentosa in Burkina Faso. · 2024 source ↗
  • Pollination and breeding system of Melochia tomentosa L. (Malvaceae), a keystone floral resource in the Brazilian Caatinga · 2008 source ↗
  • Melosatin D: A New Isatin Alkaloid from Melochia tomentosa Roots. · 1993 source ↗

Scientific compounds

Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.

  • MELOCHINONE
  • MELOSATIN-A
  • MELOSATIN-B

Legality

No exact international trade listing was returned by the CITES checklist for this accepted name. Country-specific law is not assessed here.

Consult the CITES species checklist for current international and national requirements.

Reference images

Melochia tomentosa
Melochia tomentosa · Dick Culbert from Gibsons, B.C., Canada

Sources

Plants of the World Online (POWO) · Kew data terms; cite POWO/WCVP

World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) · CC BY 3.0

show claim source mapping
  • identity · DH-SRC-0030
  • documented_uses · DH-SRC-0030
  • compounds · DH-SRC-0030
  • taxonomy · DH-SRC-GBIF · source ↗
  • common_names · DH-SRC-GBIF · source ↗
  • countries · DH-SRC-GBIF · source ↗
  • wfo_taxonomy · DH-SRC-0003 · source ↗
  • cultural_records · DH-SRC-0030 · source ↗
  • powo_taxonomy · DH-SRC-0001 · source ↗
  • wcvp_taxonomy · DH-SRC-0002 · source ↗

CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive

Contributions and revisions

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