ABSTRACT
Cuphea viscosissima is a native of east central and southeastern North America and is distributed species of Cuphea north of Mexico. The plant is found along roadsides and in fields, usually in dry places. Although the species normally occurs in open locations, it occasionally occurs in low woods. Blue waxweed, one of the 260 or so species of Cuphea, is an annual, 15–60 cm tall. The species is sometimes grown as an ornamental but is mainly of interest as a very recent source of oil from the seeds. Blue waxweed is significant as an experimental source of edible oil for the marketplace. The oil is incorporated into commercial products prepared on an industrial scale and has not yet been made available to the general consumer. The US government has invested heavily in blue waxweed development, mainly to establish a domestic alternative to imported lauric acid from coconut and oil palm for use in detergents, soaps, cosmetics, lubricants, and biodiesel.
