Herbs from Distant Lands: Firecracker Plant

PLANT PROFILE

Russelia equisetiformis is a perennial, evergreen subshrub native to Mexico and Central America. Because of it's beautiful red flowers (pink, yellow and white varieties also exist), abundantly covering it's elegantly weeping, needle-thin green stems. This plant is nowadays more or less popular in most tropical and subtropical regions in whole world, as an ornamental garden plant. But most of it's owners are totally unaware of the fact, that Russelia has much more to offer than just it's beauty.
Only in few countries like Mexico, Colombia, Egypt, Nigeria, Pakistan and China, some people heard of great medicinal qualities of this plant. Which is very rarely mentioned in herbal encyclopedias, and therefore still very little known even to herbalists, that can see it in their local garden centers. But more than decade ago first scientific medical researches on this herb emerged, and more and more is coming recently. With Nigeria being the leader that made more research testing healing properties of this plant, than other countries all together. It might be not surprising, as it seems to be quite often used by Nigerian folk healers to treat cancer, malaria and inflammatory diseases.

The genus Russelia is currently classified as the members of plantain family, Plantaginaceae. But in older books it is sometimes placed in the families of Scrophulariaceae or Veronicaceae. The name Russelia honours Alexander Russell (1715 - 1768), who was a naturalist and physician, which means that plants has interested him from botanical point of view, but probably more for it's usefulness for his medical practices. And it was Nikolaus von Jacquin (1727 - 1817) that gave this name to that genus. He also studied medicine, botany and chemistry, and it is noted that he spent four years in the West Indies and Central America.
Therefore it is possible that in some of their works, some nowadays forgotten knowledge about medicinal use of this plant has been recorded. And surely the herb that is highly acclaimed as a powerful medicine, yet with such a limited information available on it's traditional applications and biological and pharmacological actions like Russelia equisetiformis, is worth very deep research.
So If anyone of you will ever have a chance to access A. Russell's or N. Jacquin's writings and will find some unwritten here information, please let me know. Also if you will find some knowledge that I didn't disclose in Medicinal Uses section, form sources in Spanish or other that I sadly can not access, please write in comments below or email me. I would be very grateful, as I classified this plant for my favorites list. Both because of it's very attractive look combined with low maintenance and high drought resilience. And for the fact that it's infusions being said to be potent cure for some serious conditions, while improving general health by cleaning the blood, also please my taste buds very much. It's one of those herbal teas, that I drink not when I have to due to need for remedy, but when I want to. As it tastes nice and makes me feel good.

Russelia equisetiformis has many common names in English, that relates to it's appearance : Fountainbush, Fountain Plant, Coral Fountain, Coral Plant, Coral Blow, Firecracker Fern, Firecracker Plant, Firecracker Bush, Firecracker flower.
Here are some of it's names in other languages : Coralillo (Spanish), Rasili (Hindi), Bao Zhang Zhu
(Chinese), Plante Corail (French), Coral de Italia (Italian), Cola de Caballo (Mexico, Colombia) - but this name is also used there for Equisetum species, Flor de Coral, Lagrima do Diablo (Brazil), Coral de Sao, Lagrimas de Amor, Lagrimas de Cupido, Lagrimas de Jupiter (Cuba), Lluvia de Coral, Lluvia de Fuego (Ecuador), Lagrimas de Venus (Dominican Republic), Coralito (Paraguay).
Ruselia equisetiformis is sometimes still called by it's synonym Russelia juncea.

CULTIVATION AND HARVESTING

Russelia eguisetiformis is a peculiar shrub, it's stems are thin and quite straw-like, reminding stalks of Equisetum plants. But it's main stems which sprout strait from the underground base, or from older main stems, have initially tiny leaves. As it grow bigger each main stem produce multiple off-stems from each node, in radiant manner. Those needle-like thin side stems grows no leaves, but are evergreen and play leaves role itself. The main stems becomes brown and woody with age, but it never gets very thick. It usually grows not higher than 2 m, and has weeping nature. Thanks to which Russelia is a great plant to grow in hanging baskets, in pots on pillars or on a slope terrain (in Egypt it is planted for ornamental and slope erosion protection purposes). But it also looks beautiful on vast open flat space, where it's natural character of growth is creating fountain water flow looking shape.
Fountainbush grows naturally in open spaces, on hillsides or river banks, and creates colonies, that in humid, tropical climate can easily become invasive. It's underground, main stems base has nature of rhizomes and create clump that can expand vastly. And it's main stems that touch the ground starts to grow roots in short time. Which makes it easy to propagate this plant threw division of clump or layering, but it can be also propagated from cuttings or seeds.
Russelia equisetiformis has beautiful flowers, which although small, appear in such an abundance that it makes this plant very showy. The most popular are Fountainbush plants with red flowers, but varieties with pink, yellow or white flowers can be also found. Russelia produce it's flowers during warm, sunny and not to wet months, therefore in some climate zones it can have it's color for whole year round, while in other it will only flower shortly. The flowers attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.

Fountainbush plants like tropical and subtropical climate, but it can also grow as a perennial plant in warm temperate climate. The branches will be killed by frost, but if temperatures will not be lower then -8 ºC then it's underground base will survive and the plant will regrow in spring. In colder areas it is sometimes grown as an annual, or grown in pots that are kept indoors over winter, in bright spot.
R. equisetiformis likes full sun and light shade, and will not do well in strong shade. It grows fast and robust in high temperatures in rich, moist but well drained soils (with pH between 6.1 and 7.8), but can tolerate any kind of soil, and moderate salinity. It is drought resistant but do not tolerate waterlogging.
This plant is absolutely low maintenance. Older, well established plants doesn't require watering, except during extreme, long period droughts. It's young branches overgrown and naturally cover those old unattractive looking one, that will eventually die and turn into compost. So pruning is generally not needed, except for when you want to curb the plant's size, or in cold climate when you want to remove whole dead above-ground part after winter, to give more sun to new springs coming up from plant's roots. Russelia is actually one of those plants that looks best when left alone uninterrupted, which let them form it's natural beautiful shape.
I have found information that R. equisetiformis can be found from sea level to 1400 m elevation. But I've seen it growing great in Baguio, the Philippines, in areas over 1600m height, and greatly resisting destructive force of strong tajfun winds. In Hawaii, it is recommended for planting in areas near the beach, as Russelia is salt and wind tolerant and help prevent soil erosion.
Fountainbush can be affected by mites, nematodes and caterpillars, but it's resilience and resistance to pests and diseases is rather much higher than that of average plants.

I didn't found any information about the best time for harvesting of R. equsetiformis stems, except for one, that in China it is harvested during summer. So I can only guess that it is more medicinally potent during flowering period. But this not necessarily has to be true, as while level of some chemical compound is on rise in plants while in bloom, levels of other substances in the stems often drops. There is also no specification if flowers itself are more valuable than Russelia stems, or if color of flowers makes much difference on it's healing powers. And generally whole flowering or not branches are cuted for drying in bundles or to be used fresh. The flowers are easily falling off the stems during the process, so at the end you have mostly bare stems left anyway. But I'm planning to make one day an effort do gather only separate flowers, to see if infusion from it tastes any better that one from stems only (so you can look for updates here).

CULINARY USES

Russelia equisetiformis open flowers can be picked straight from the bush to suck out it's nectar threw the bottom of pulled flower tubular corolla. Although because of the small size of the flower, there in not much of nectar in each. The easiness of pulling it, and usual abundance of open flowers at one time on even small plant, makes Rusellia a lovely sweet treat.
Tea made from fresh flowering Fountainbush stems (I didn't bother yet to dry it to see if it changes anything), has such a mild taste that it is even hard to characterize it. But there is something truly pleasant about it. It is almost like drinking pure water, but the water that is much softer, smoother yet richer. And it makes you feel good while drinking and even more after. I know how weird it sound, so I strongly recommend for everyone to try it for themselves. And even if you do not enjoy the taste that is at the brink of absence, then you can at least keep in mind all of Russelia tea health benefits.
The 'feels-good' effect of Fountainbus Tea has been scientifically confirmed and explained. Water extracts of this plant showed to have stronger antidepressant action of Prozac, and the herb was confirmed to ease excitement, irritation and improve sleep in rodents, as well as act as analgesic and anticonvulsant.

MEDICINAL USES

Russelia equisetiformis is not popular as a medicinal plant, except maybe for some rural parts of Mexico, Colombia and Nigeria. But among those that know it's healing virtues, whether they are folk healers, shamans, modern herbalists or even orthodox medicine trained doctors. It posses a high reputation of an important herbal cure. This fact has resulted in small (but growing) number of scientific pharmacological and phytochemical studies, that have been conducted in last decade, mostly in Nigeria, but also in India, Pakistan, Egypt and Japan. But both modern scientific data and ethnobotanic reports of use of Russelia remain scarce. Yet there is enough evidence to consider moderate use of this herb as safe, and general directories for it's utilization are seen.

The whole stems of Fountainbush fresh or dried, are taken orally in form of infusions or decoctions.

In Nigeria R. equisetiformis is used by traditional healers to treat malaria, cancer, leukemia, diabetes, pain and inflammatory diseases. It is also used to promote hair growth among the Yoruba tribe.

In Mexico this herb is used as remedy for kidney diseases, diabetes, cancer, inflammatory diseases and tuberculosis.

In Colombia the fresh entire plant decoction is taken orally to cure kidney stones.

In China (mostly in Fujian), Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners call this herb - Baozhangzhu, saying it is sweet and neutral in nature, with actions of reuniting bone fraction, promoting blood circulation and dispelling stasis.
For swellings, bruises, injuries and sprains from falls, knife wounds, fractures and tendon injuries, decoction of 10-15g is drunk. Or appropriate amount of fresh plant is smashed and applied as poultice.

Fountainbush medicinal actions are described as : antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive and analgesic, antibacterial, antiplasmodial - antimalarial, anthelmintic and hair growth promotor. It also has been reported to be anticonvulsant and strong antidepressant, acting as central nervous system depressant.

Russelia equisetiformis contains : flavonoids, polyphenols and phenols derivatives (gallic acid, caffeoylquinic acids, isoverbascoside, glycosylated flavonoids, methylgallate, vicenin
II, chrysoeriol-7-O-ß-D4C1 glucopyranoside, luteolin 7-O-glucoside, luteolin-7-O-ß-D4C1-
arabinoside, quercetrin, apigenin, luteolin, acetoside; 6, 8-diglucosylapigenin, 6-arabinosyl-8-glucosyl apigenin, orientin, vitexin, apigenin-O-glucuronide, chlorogenic acid, methyl protocatechuate, p-coumaric acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, caffeic acid, caftaric acid, syringic acid, catechin ), saponins, tannins, steroids, alkaloids, terpenoids, triterpenes of lupane type (including lupeol), phenylethanoid glycosides (russectinol, verbascoside, russeliaoside, isoverbascoside), iridoids and iridoid glucosides, phenyl propane glucosides, phenyl ethanoids, lignan glucosides and flavonoid glucosides.

It has around 20 essential oil compounds, the major constituents are : hexadecanoic acid methyl ester 11.04%, 11-methyltetracosane 8.44%, n-docosane 7.66%, α-pinene 7.26%, octadecanoic acid methyl ester 6.37%, eicosanoic acid methyl ester 6.16%, ctadecanoic acid ethyl ester 5.69%, geranic acid 5.60%, methyl tetradecanoate 5.27% and beta-pinene 4.60%.

Methanol extract of Russelia equisetiformis has been observed to have protective effect on DNA.

The study in Nigeria, has brought conclusion that the ethanol extract of R. equisetiformis possesses antimalarial effect (against Plasmodium berghi), which supports the folk medicine claim of this herb's usefulness in the treatment of malaria.

Recently, two flavonoid compounds isolated from R. equisetiformis were reported to have potential analgesic activity.

Russelia equisetiformis aerial parts alcoholic extracts has shown generally significant but not very strong inhibition against bacteria and fungi like : Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Pasteurella multocida, Rhizoctonia solani, Alternaria alternata. Dichloromethane extract from R. equisetiformis roots showed strong inhibition on Shigella flexneri and significant against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa but no effect on Escherichia coli.

Hydro-alcohol extract exhibited significant hepatoprotective effect against carbon tetrachloride injured liver cells.

N-butanol and water extracts of Russelia equisetiformis has shown stronger antidepressant actions than Fluoxetine (Prozac).

Topical application of methanol extract of the whole plant of R. equisetiformis has hair growth promoting effect on rats, produced a significant increase in the rate of hair growth (P<0.05), in a concentration dependent manner.

Studies has shown that lupeol isolated from extract of Russelia equisetiformis possesses anti-inflammatory activity in acute, and certain aspects of chronic inflammation.

Laboratory animal study suggests that R. equisetiformis methanol extract possesses anticonvulsant activity, and may be an alternative supplementary therapy for the management and/or control of convulsions and epilepsy.

Experiment shows that R. equisetiformis is a depressant on the central CNS and acts by blocking the neurotransmitter GABA.

Study results suggests that aqueous-ethanol extract of R. equisetiformis possesses the membrane stabilizing activity

Herbs from Distant Lands

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Russelia equisetiformis - Fountainbush