“Labios de mujer” Psychotria poeppigiana is one of the species that we have best photographed during our October 2021 expedition. In Aldea El Rosario, Tapón Creek, there were places where several flowers and fruits of this species were observed.
Psychotria poeppigiana is a species of plant of the RUBIACEAE family. What we commonly see as the red petals of this plant are actually modified leaves or also called bracts. These turn red due to the carotenoid pigments they contain, as a strategy to attract pollinators. The flowers are actually white in color and clustered in the center. When these are pollinated, blue colored fruits can be observed.
Rubiaceae is a family made up of about 600 genera and more than 1000 species of herbaceous, shrubs, trees, vines, epiphytes, which are distributed and of greater diversity in the tropical belt.
Taxonomy
| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Order | Gestianales |
| Family | Rubiaceae |
| Genus | Psychotria |
| Species | Psychotria poeppigiana |
Written by Vivian Hurtado & Roxana Leal
Identified Species by Victor Mendoza
Posted November 11, 2021
