Beautyberry

Taxobox
name = Beautyberry


image_width = 240px
image_caption = "Callicarpa dichotoma" 'Early Amethyst' (Purple Beautyberry)
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Lamiales
familia = Verbenaceae
genus = "Callicarpa"
genus_authority = L.
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = "Callicarpa acuminata" "Callicarpa americana" "Callicarpa bodinieri" "Callicarpa cana" "Callicarpa japonica" "Callicarpa cathayana" "Callicarpa dichotoma" "Callicarpa erioclona" "Callicarpa formosana" "Callicarpa kwangtungensis" "Callicarpa lanata" "Callicarpa longifolia" "Callicarpa macrophylla" "Callicarpa maingayi" "Callicarpa mollis" "Callicarpa nudiflora" "Callicarpa pedunculata" "Callicarpa pentandra" "Callicarpa reevesii" "Callicarpa rubella" "Callicarpa shikokiana" "Callicarpa tomentosa"

Beautyberry ("Callicarpa") is a genus of shrubs and small trees in the family Verbenaceae; between 40-150 species are accepted by different botanists. They are native to east and southeast Asia (where the majority of the species occur), Australia, southeast North America and Central America.

The temperate species are deciduous, the tropical species evergreen. The leaves are simple, opposite, and 5-25 cm long. The flowers are in clusters, white to pinkish. The fruit is a berry, 2-5 mm diameter and pink to red-purple with a highly distinctive metallic lustre, are very conspicuous in clusters on the bare branches after the leaves fall. The berries last well into the winter or dry season and are an important survival food for birds and other animals, though they will not eat them until other sources are depleted. The berries are highly astringent, and considered unfit for human use. "Callicarpa" species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including "Endoclita malabaricus" and "Endoclita undulifer".

pecies

American Beautyberry "Callicarpa americana" is native to the southeastern United States. It can typically reach 1-2 m in height. A jelly can be made from its ripe berries.

Bodinier's Beautyberry "Callicarpa bodinieri", native to west-central China (Sichuan, Hubei, Shaanxi) is more cold-tolerant than "C. americana", and is the species most widely cultivated in north western Europe. It can reach 3 m tall.

Japanese Beautyberry "Callicarpa japonica", native to Japan, is also cultivated in gardens. It is called "Murasakishikibu" in Japanese, in honor of Murasaki Shikibu.

Uses

American beautyberry or "Callicarpa americana" has been found to be a natural insect repellent. Four chemicals have been isolated that appear to be the active ingredients; borneol, [cite web
url=http://sun.ars-grin.gov:8080/npgspub/xsql/duke/plantdisp.xsql?taxon=2372
title=Species Information
publisher=sun.ars-grin.gov
accessdate=2008-03-02
last=
first=] callicarpenal, intermedeol, and spathulenol. It has found to be repellant to the mosquitoes which carry yellow fever and malaria, as well as the tick which carries Lyme disease. The discovery and use of callicarpenal has been patented by the United States Department of Agriculture Agriculture Research Service. [cite magazine | publisher = Agricultural Research Service | date = February 06 | journal = Agricultural Research | title = Learning from our elders: Folk Remedy Yields Mosquito-Thwarting Compound | url = http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/feb06/mosquito0206.htm] It has also been used to produce wine.

References

External links

* [http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/07/060703091932.htm Scientists Confirm Folk Remedy Repels Mosquitoes] University Of Mississippi (ScienceDaily) July 3 2006
* [http://sun.ars-grin.gov:8080/npgspub/xsql/duke/plantdisp.xsql?taxon=2372 "Callicarpa americana" List of Chemicals (Dr. Duke's Databases)]
* " [http://plantsforuse.com/index.php?page=1&id=1257 Callicarpa info] "