Star of Bethlehem
Hippobroma longiflora
Its long, tubular flowers are specifically adapted for pollination by hawkmoths, which possess exceptionally long tongues.
- Scientific name
- Hippobroma longiflora
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Asterales › Campanulaceae › Hippobroma
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- increasing
- Biome
- wetland
- Habitat
- Damp stream banks, wet forest margins, roadside ditches, and disturbed moist areas.
- Diet
- Autotrophic (Photosynthesis)
- Range
- Caribbean, Southeast Asia, Pacific Islands, Central America, South America
- Size
- 30-60 cm in height
- Lifespan
- 2-5 years (short-lived perennial)
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- None major; it is highly resilient and behaves as an invasive weed in many tropical regions.
- Safe to approach?
- Dangerous. This plant produces a highly toxic, milky sap containing lobeline and cardiotonic glycosides. Contact with skin causes severe irritation; contact with eyes can cause permanent blindness. Do not touch or harvest without thick gloves. If sap contacts skin, wash immediately with soap and water. If sap gets in eyes, flush copiously with water and seek immediate emergency medical care.
Hippobroma longiflora (also called Star of Bethlehem , madamfate ) is a flowering plant in the Campanulaceae family. It is endemic to the West Indies, but has become naturalized across the American tropics and Oceania.
Photo: Wouter Koch, CC0, via iNaturalist
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