Cordia. Cordia globosa , a. Flowering branch, b. Flower bud. c. Flower from above, d. Flower, side view. e. Flower longitudinally dissected, f. Pistil. g. Floral diagram, h. Fruit in cluster on left, enlarged fruit on right. Cordia sebestena , a. Flowering branch, b. Details of base of inflorescence , arrow showing sympodial renewal shoot from leaf axil. c. Leaf with details of lower and upper surfaces (right); inset is of C. globosa for comparison of size. d. Long-stamened flower, longitudinally dissected, with detail of throat , e. Short-stamened flower, with detail of throat , f. Flora diagram, g. Fruits, h. Fruit in longitudinal section and transverse section . Both drawn by Priscilla Fawcett. From Correll and Correll 1982.

ABSTRACT

Blood-berry is perhaps based on yerba de la sangre (blood herb, Cuba) or maybe sanguinaria (for the blood, Cuba). The red fruits following the small clusters of white flowers make the names seem appropriate. However, the Spanish versions were based on medical uses. In Cuba and Hispaniola, a decoction of the plants is highly esteemed as an astringent and hemostat in instances of pulmonary hemorrhage. Throughout the range of the species, the main application is for lung problems (Roig 1945, Liogier 1974, Morton 1981). That use holds through the range of C. globosa in southern Florida, the Bahamas, Cuba, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico to Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, and Margarita, thence onto mainland Venezuela, Colombia, and in Central America through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and north to Mexico (Yucatán, Chiapas, Campeche, Morelos, Quintana Roo). Jamaicans use a tea to treat colds and tightness of the chest. In the Grenadines the plant is used as a remedy for colds, chest congestion, and for menstrual cramps (Morton 1981).