Medicinal Plants in the Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands Medicinal and Healing Plants, Bush Medicine
and old-time remedies.
by Ann Stafford, CaymANNature, August 16, 2019
The information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be an endorsement of any of the old-time remedies. Some parts of a plant, ripe or unripe, may heal, while other parts of the same plant may be poisonous. There may be a fine line between kill and cure.
Licorice, John Crow Bead, Rosary Pea, Crab’s Eyes – Abrus precatorius, the seeds contain ABRIN and are extremely poisonous.
Castor Oil plant – Ricinus communis, the seeds contain the highly poisonous RICIN and can be fatal if swallowed. Heat inactivates ricin (a protein).
“The claims made for some of the plants may occasionally be justified by their chemical constituents. Some of them are, or have been, in the pharmacopoeias. On the other hand, in many cases the claims either have little justification or remain to be substantiated. Many of the doses used are of an unpleasant and even drastic nature. This may account for their popularity in view of the general impression that medicine must be unpleasant to be efficacious.”
Medicinal Plants of Jamaica by G.F. Asprey and Phyllis Thornton. Reprinted from the West Indian Medical Journal. Vol. 2 No. 4. Vol. 3 No. 1. 1953
Medicinal Plants JAMAICA 1953_Asprey, Thornton
MEDlCINAL PLANTS OF JAMAICA. PARTS 1 – IV
By F. Asprey, M.Sc., Ph.D. (B’ham.), Professor of Botany, U.C.W.l. and Phyllis Thornton, B.Sc. (Liverpool), Botanist Vomiting Sickness Survey. Attached to Botany Department, U.C.W.I. Reprinted. 86 pages.
Caribbean Sea
Glossary
decoction – boiled; the liquor resulting from concentrating the essence of a substance by heating or boiling, especially a medicinal preparation made from a plant.
dioecious – male and female flowers grow on separate plants.
infusion – steeped; a drink, remedy, or extract prepared by soaking the leaves of a plant or herb in liquid.
monoecious – separate male and female flowers grow on the same plant.
Cayman Common Names
Different countries have different common names, sometimes more than one for the same plant, or one name may refer to several different plants. Several trees around the world are called Ironwood, but Cayman’s culturally important Ironwood trees are only found in the Cayman Islands – Chionanthus caymanensis. Scientific names avoid confusion of which plant is being referred to.
Rosemary – Croton linearis is a common culturally significant Cayman shrub. It is called Pineland Croton or Granny-Bush in the US). It should not be confused with the culinary woody, perennial herb, Rosemary – Rosmarinus officinalis, native to the Mediterranean region, or the variegated leaf landscaping shrub, Croton – Codiaeum variegatum.
Links:
1938 Oxford University Biological Expedition to the Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands HERBARIUM
Links to photo albums:
Cayman Medicinal Plants and Cultural Uses
Wilfred Kings
Wilfred Kings was invited to join the 1938 Oxford University Biological Expedition to the Cayman Islands by Gemmell Alexander on March 21, 1938 in the capacity of Botanist, as their Botanist was unable to join the Expedition at last moment.
Report on the Botanical Collections
from Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman
Wilfred Kings Sept. 1938
Grand Cayman May 13 – May 17 and June 11 – Aug.10
Cayman Brac May 18 – May 28
Little Cayman May 28 – June 11
Kings saw Mr Alston at the British Museum (Natural History), explained the situation, and that he was not a Specialist in any capacity. They were satisfied that he should go merely as a Collector.
Natural History Museum, London, England
Mr Charles Elton and Dr Hobby in a interview at the Hope Department of Entomology, Oxford, were also willing for Kings to work in that capacity. Charles ELTON
Lawrence Sheriff School, Rugby, Governors granted Kings a leave of absence for the term, where he was the Geography Master. Kings eventually joined the party in Grand Cayman on May 13, 1938.
The Collection, as far as the Flowering Plants and Ferns were concerned, was almost entirely in duplicate.
FLORA of the CAYMAN ISLANDS by George R. PROCTOR, 2012 Extracts from p.19 and 21
‘The Oxford University Biological Expedition to the Cayman Islands, a party of five under the leadership of W.G. Alexander, carried out fieldwork from April 17 to August 27, 1938. The primary objects of attention were plants, insects, reptiles, and fishes, but nearly all animal taxa received some attention. The official botanist of this group was Wilfred W. KINGS, who joined the expedition about a month later than the others; he had been especially recruited from Lawrence Sheriff School, Rugby, because Oxford had no available botanist at that time. Before his arrival, some plant-collecting was done by C. Bernard LEWIS, whose interests were otherwise chiefly zoological. Kings gathered a large collection of material from all three islands; until recently, these excellent specimens constituted the major basis of our knowledge of the Cayman flora. The main set of the Kings collection is deposited at the British Museum (Natural History) in London, while duplicate material can be found in several other herbaria.
Lewis, then an Oxford student (a Rhodes Scholar from the United States), later became Director of the Institute of Jamaica in Kingston; he collected further Cayman plant specimens during the 1940s. His continued interest in the Cayman Islands has been a constant source of encouragement during the writing of this book.’
‘Collectors of Cayman Islands plants
Wilfred W. KINGS May-Aug. 1938. 645 specimens seen in Herbaria at British Museum, (Natural History), Gray Herbarium of Harvard University and Missouri Botanical Garden.
Bernard LEWIS Apr. 1938, Dec. 1944, Mar. 1945, Dec. 1945. 45 specimens seen in Herbaria at British Museum and Institute of Jamaica.’
TROPICOS Missouri Botanical Garden, Collector W. Kings 1938
Oxford University Expedition1938
Report on botanical collections from the Cayman Islands
by WILFRED KINGS
extract: Plants of reputed Medicinal Value
Harmful plants
Maiden Plum – Comocladia dentata. DO NOT TOUCH – poisonous sap, skin irritant
Kings GC 115, Lewis 3612.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.487. Pl.44.
A to Z Cayman common name
Aloe Vera, Alloways, Bitter Aloes, Sempervivie, Sempervirens, Sinkle Bible – Aloe vera
Kings GC 122
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.174
Aunt Eliza Bush (Twining Soldierbush) – Myriopus volubilis syn. Tournefortia volubilis
Shrubby vine
GC 140, LC 12.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.559
Basil, Tea Basil, Pimento Basil – Ocimum campechianum syn. O. micranthum
Kings GC 213; LC 6.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.591
Ocimum campechianum = O. micranthum
Basil, Sweet Basil – Ocimum basilicum
GC 135
Sweet Basil – Ocimum basilicum, very aromatic, growing in a Cayman garden, Oct.4, 2019
Bay Vine – Ipomoea pes-caprae brasiliensis
A trailing vine, pantropical on sandy seashores.
The sticky upper surfaces of the young leaves were placed between sore toes, Kings 1938.
Kings GC 67; LC 18; CB 19.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.552
Birch, Red Birch; (Gumbo Limbo – US) – Bursera simaruba
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.484
Broadleaf – Cordia sebestena var. caymanensis
Kings GC 63; LC 4; CB 89.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.567
Broadleaf – green, unripe fruits
Broadleaf – white, ripe fruits
Castor-oil Plant, Castor Bean Plant, – Ricinus communis
Kings GC 128, 145; LC 108; CB 80, 81.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.457
Castor Bean Plant, Lorna McCubbin 1995
Cat Claw – Volkameria aculeata syn. Clerodendrum aculeatum
A shrub with spiny, arching branches and white flowers. The leaves were boiled as a remedy for coughs.
Kings GC 133, 148.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.584.
Caymania, Sweetheart – Desmodium adscendens
The Cayman Islands have several species of Desmodium – D. gangeticum, D. triflorum – Creeping Tick-trefoil, D. incanum – Chick Weed, D. tortuosum – Twisted Tick-trefoil, D. adscendens – Caymania, Sweetheart.
The seedpods have hooked hairs (the inspiration for Velcro) and cling to clothing, humans, animals, birds – hence the name ‘Sweetheart’.
D. adscendens (Sw.) DC. (accepted name) range: tropical South and Central America, the Caribbean and tropical Africa. It is a lawn weed in Cayman.
Caymania, Sweetheart – Dedsmodium adscendens, showing flowers and seedpods.
Desmodium adscendens – Useful Tropical Plants
‘The plant has become a weed in many areas of the tropics and is often considered to be invasive. Because of the abundant small uncinate hairs on most species, the seedpods cling most tenaciously to clothing, to any part of the human body, and also to the feathers and hair of various animals, thus ensuring a wide dispersal of the plants.
Plants can flower and produce fruit all year round.
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria; these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby.
In Cayman, it is marketed as ‘Caymania’.
Caymania – Desmodium adscendens
Cerasee – see Serasee – Momordica charantia
Cochineal, Scotchineal, (Prickly Pear) – Nopalea cochenillifera syn. Opuntia cochenillifera
Kings GC 340; CB 33.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.259
Coconut – Cocos nucifera
Kings CB 52, 53.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.165
Cow-itch – Mucuna pruriens
Kings GC 228.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.371
Cow Tongue, Long Strap Fern – Campyloneurum phyllitidis syn. Polypodium phyllitidis
A fern that grows on trunks or mossy bases of trees, in sheltered woodlands, uncommon in the Cayman Islands. The leaves were boiled for colds.
Kings F 2, F 2a, F 26, F 41, F 42.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.53. Fig.11, Pl.3
Cure-For-All – Pluchea carolinensis
A bushy shrub, used as a tea for colds, and hot as a poultice for strains or dislocations. Usage not recorded in Cayman.)
Kings GC 357.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.645.
Dandelion – Senna occidentalis syn. Cassia occidentalis
A shrub, the seeds were parched or roasted, ground and used to supplement coffee or as a coffee substitute.
Root dried and used for loss of appetite (Kings 1938)
Kings GC 220.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.388.
Dashalong, Ramgoat Dashalong, Cat-bush, (Yellow Alder) – Turnera ulmifolia
Kings GC 391; LC 102; CB 25
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.320, Fig.113.
Dogwood, (Fish Poison Tree) – Piscidia piscipula
A small tree. The bark, especially of the roots, has narcotic and poisonous properties. In some places, it was used to relieve toothache, and in Jamaica, to cure mange in dogs. The crushed bark and leaves, thrown into water, would stupefy most nearby fish, which floated to the surface.
Kings GC 318.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.378, Pl.29.
Eucalyptus, Melaleuca, Paperbark tree – Melaleuca quinquenervia (not Eucalyptus globulus)
They belong to the same Family: MYRTACEAE.
The tree over-hanging Shedden Road, long thought to be Eucalyptus globulus, has been identified as Melaleuca quinquenervia. Eucalyptus Building on the right.
Cayman Compass Aug. 21, 2018
Flowers and leaves of Melaleuca quinquenervia.
Melaleuca quinquenervia trees are native to New Guinea and Australia; they are widely established in Central and South Florida, where they have become invasive.
Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2019-08-30.
‘Edible Uses
The essential oil obtained from the leaves is used as a flavour component in foods such as baked goods, candy, condiments, dairy desserts, meat and meat products, non-alcoholic beverages and relishes.
Medicinal
Cajeput oil obtained from leaves and twigs of this and related species by steam distillation is used in medicine and local remedies.
The foliar leaf oils of M. Quinquenervia fall into 2 classes, based on their chemical composition. One chemotype is rich in nerolidol (90%); the other is 1,8-cineole (30-70%) and sometimes viridiflorol (0-60%). It is the cineole-rich chemotype that is the source of niaouli oil, which is produced in New Caledonia. Niaouli oil is similar to cajuput oil in composition and medicinal use.
Tea Tree Oil (Melaeuca alternifolia), closely related to Melaleuca quinquenervia, and Eucalyptus Oil (Eucalyptus globulus) on the shelf of a local supermarket.
Cajeput oil is produced by steam distillation of fresh leaves and twigs of the Cajeput tree (Melaleuca leucadendra) and the Paperbark tree (Melaleuca quinquenervia). Don’t confuse cajeput oil with Tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) or Niauli oil (Melaleuca viridiflora).
Fever Grass, Lemon Grass – Cymbopogon citratus
Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2019-08-30.
‘Medicinal
Lemon grass is a bitter, aromatic, cooling herb that increases perspiration and relieves spasms. The essential oil obtained from the plant is an effective antifungal and antibacterial. The essential oil contains about 70% citral, plus citronellal – both of these are markedly sedative.
Internally, the plant is used principally as a tea in the treatment of digestive problems, where it relaxes the muscles of the stomach and gut, relieving cramping pains and flatulence.. It is particularly useful for children, for whom it is also used to treat minor feverish illnesses.
Externally, especially in the form of the extracted essential oil, the plant is a very effective treatment for a range of skin conditions including athlete’s foot, ringworm, lice and scabies. It is also applied to ease the pain of arthritic joints.’
Fowl Berry, Blood Berry – Rivina humilis
A perennial herb, with crimson berries. Fowl Berry leaves were used for treating ringworm. They were heated over the fire, rubbed together and applied to the affected area.
Kings GC 71; CB 47, 75, 101.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.248. Pl. 13.
Poisonous – The entire plant is poisonous, especially the leaves. Although birds will eat the berries, they are also somewhat poisonous to humans.
Goatweed – Capraria biflora
Kings GC 65a.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.598
Click here: Useful Tropical Plants – Goatweed – Capraria biflora
for uses and cautions.
Headache Bush – Quadrella cynophallophora syn. Capparis cynophallophora
Kings GC 142.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.333. Fig.118, Pl. 23.
Heart Plant, Duppy Gun, Minnie Root – Ruellia tuberosa
Herb with numerous tuberous-thickened roots. These were used in a mixed tea for blood disorders.
Kings GC 103.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.611, Fig.229.
Duppy Gun – the capsules shoot the seeds out explosively when wet.
Ruellia tuberosa is a Ayurvedic Medicinal Plant
Medicinal applications
In Suriname’s traditional medicine it is used as an anthelmintic, against joint pains and strained muscles; bladder diseases.
Also used as an abortifacient, The root is used against kidney diseases and for whooping cough. An infusion is used for cleansing the blood.
The root and leaf for alleviating retention of urine.
The leaves contain apigenin and luteolin while the seed oil yield myristic, capril and lauric acids.
Horseradish Tree, Maronga – Moringa oleifera
see Moringa
Juniper, Jennifer – Suriana maritima
Kings GC 22, 264; LC 85; CB 57.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.475, Fig.172, Pl.42.
Leaf-of-Life, Curiosity Plant – Kalanchoe pinnata syn. Bryophllum pinnatum
Kings GC 35a, 97a, 117, 146; CB 69.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.352.
Lemon Grass, see Fever Grass – Cymbopogon citratus
Licorice, John Crow Bead, Rosary Pea, Crab’s Eyes – Abrus precatorius
The roots of this pantropical, sometimes high-climbing vine, with pink flowers, contain glycerrhizin, which also occurs in commercial licorice. The seeds, scarlet with black spot, contain abrin and are extremely poisonous. The poison acts only through the blood stream, a small amount introduced into a wound could be fatal. However, it is destroyed by digestive juices and by boiling.
Kings GC 182a; CB 87.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.366, Fig.132, Pl.27.
The seeds were used to make jewelry and as weights by jewel merchants,
2 seeds = 1 carat (1 carat weighs 1/24 oz.)
FLORA of the CAYMAN ISLANDS by George R. Proctor 2012 p.366. Fig.132, Pl.27.
Lime – Citrus X aurantifolia
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.493.
Moringa, Maronga, Horseradish Tree – Moringa oleifera
Kings GC 231
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.339
Overview Information
“Moringa is a plant that is native to the sub-Himalayan areas of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. It is also grown in the tropics. The leaves, bark, flowers, fruit, seeds, and root are used to make medicine.
Moringa is used for “tired blood” (anemia); arthritis and other joint pain (rheumatism); asthma; cancer; constipation; diabetes; diarrhea; epilepsy; stomach pain; stomach and intestinal ulcers; intestinal spasms; headache; heart problems; high blood pressure; kidney stones; fluid retention; thyroid disorders; and bacterial, fungal, viral, and parasitic infections.
Moringa is also used to reduce swelling, increase sex drive (as an aphrodisiac), prevent pregnancy, boost the immune system, and increase breast milk production. Some people use it as a nutritional supplement or tonic.
Moringa is sometimes applied directly to the skin as a germ-killer or drying agent (astringent). It is also used topically for treating pockets of infection (abscesses), athlete’s foot, dandruff, gum disease (gingivitis), snakebites, warts, and wounds.
Oil from moringa seeds is used in foods, perfume, and hair care products, and as a machine lubricant.
Side Effects & Safety
Moringa is POSSIBLY SAFE when taken by mouth and used appropriately. The leaves, fruit, and seeds might be safe when eaten as food. However, it’s important to avoid eating the root and its extracts. These parts of the plant may contain a toxic substance that can cause paralysis and death. Moringa has been used safely in doses up to 6 grams daily for up to 3 weeks.”
Mulberry, Hog Apple, Noni – Morinda citrifolia
Kings LC 112.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.628.
Naseberry, Neesberry, Sapodilla – Manilkara sapota
Tree with copius white latex. A tea was made from the leaves to treat the common cold.
Kings GC 347.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.346.
Manilkara sapota – Useful Tropical Plants
Old Lady Coat Tail – Priva lappulacea
Kings GC 87, 153.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.573.
Pepper Cinnamon – Canella winterana
The bark, and silky leaves, when broken, are very pleasantly, distinctively, aromatic.
Critically Endangered, culturally significant, Cayman Islands native tree. The wood was used to make Catboat sculls (oars).
Native to Florida & the West Indies, south to Barbados
Kings LC 15; CB 48.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.225. Fig.77, Pl.10
Useful Tropical Plants – Canella winterana
Pepper Cinnamon – velvety, crimson berries are eaten by birds
Periwinkle, Burying-Ground Flower, Ramgoat Rose – Catharanthus roseus syn. Vinca rosea
An erect herb, originally described form Madagascar, now cultivated and escaping in nearly all warm countries.
Kings GC 51, 221, 222; CB 60.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.519, Fig.191.
Pomegranate – Punica granatum
Not native to the Cayman Islands, it is sometimes planted horticulturally.
Kings GC 295.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.411.
Providence Mint, Sage – Lippia alba
Kings CB 51.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p
Quacori / Quacou, Velvet Leaf – Cissampelos pareira
Dioecious, slender, twining, often high-climing, vine.
Leaves used in cases of fish poisoning (Oxford Expedition).
Velvety leaves used for shining glass lampshades (Boosie Arch).
Pantropical.
Kings GC 120.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.235
(Note: Velvet-leaf is the Cayman common name for the shrub Melochia tomentosa.
Kings GC 423; LC 95; CB 15).
Cissampelos pareira – Useful Tropical Plants
Extract: “People take an infusion of the bitter rhizome, and sometimes of leaves and stems, to cure gastro-intestinal complaints such as diarrhoea, dysentery, ulcers, colic, intestinal worms and digestive complaints, and also urogenital problems such as menstrual problems, venereal diseases, infertility, uterine bleeding and threatening miscarriage. rhizome decoction or pounded leaves are also widely taken or externally applied as a febrifuge and stomachic, and is employed against cough, heart trouble, rheumatism, jaundice, snake bites and skin infections such as sores, boils, scabies and childhood eczema.
Juice from macerated leaves and stem is mixed with a little water and used as an anti-conjunctivitis or as a treatment for sore eyes. Leaves and stem are macerated in water an used as an anti-infective agent.”
Red Top, Hippa Cassini, (Scarlet Milkweed, Bloodflower) – Asclepias curassavica
Perennial herb, a wildflower found in pastures, said to be poisonous to livestock. Larval food plant of Milkweed butterflies, Danaus spp – Queens, Monarchs and Soldiers in Cayman.
Kings GC 152, 328.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.527, Fig.195.
Asclepias curassavica – Bloodflower
Rosemary (Cayman and Jamaica) Croton linearis ; (Pineland Croton or Granny-Bush – US) Rosemary is a dioecious, pleasantly aromatic shrub, a multipurpose plant. The leaves were steeped to make tea for striction, as a tonic, boiled to make a tea for diabetes or smoked as tobacco to relieve asthma.
Kings GC 52, GC 392; LC 9; CB 49.
FLORA of the CAYMAN ISLANDS by George R. Proctor 2012 p.452. Fig.163. Pl.38. Note: The Cayman shrub, Rosemary, should not be confused with culinary woody, perennial herb, Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), native to the Mediterranean region, or the variegated leaf landscaping shrub, Croton (Codiaeum variegatum).
Culinary Mediterranean Rosemary – Rosmarinus officinalis, grown in Cayman and for sale in local supermarket.
Sage, Black – Varronia bullata ssp. humilis, syn. Cordia globosa var. humilis
A sprawling, much branched shrub. The little, white flowers attract butterflies.
Kings GC 126a.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.570.
Sage, White, Sweet Sage – Lantana camara syn. Lantana urticifolia
Kings GC 112, 314.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p
Scorn-the-Ground, Mistletoe – Phoradendron spp.
Small, parasitic shrubs on broad-leaved, woody plants. There are 3 species in the Cayman Islands: P. quadrangulare, P. trinervium, P. rubrum. Berries (yellow, red or orange) used for female ailments.
Scorn-the-Ground – Phoradendron sp. on Cabbage Tree (Blolly) – Guapira discolor, in George Town, Grand Cayman.
Scorn-the-Ground, Mistletoe – Phoradendron quadrangulare
Kings GC 14, 150, 365, 388?; CB 91
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p
Scorn-the-Ground, Mahogany Mistletoe – Phoradendron rubrum
Kings GC 165; LC 36, 43.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p
Scorpion Tail, Bastard Chelamella – Heliotropium angiospermum White flowers
Lewis 3856; Kings LC 41; CB 67
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p
Scorpion Tail – Heliotropium indicum Annual, blue flowers
Kings GC 275.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p
Sea Bean – Canavalia rosea
Trailing or twining vine, leaves have 3 leaflets, flowers pink or rose, fading to bluish-purple. Flowers may be used as flavouring.
Pantropical, especially sandy areas near the sea.
Kings GC 68; LC 23; CB 13
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.372.
Canavalia rosea – Useful Tropical Plants
‘The root is diuretic. It contains a bitter and purgative principle. It is steeped in vinegar and used for gargles.
An infusion of the seed is used as a purgative..
The juice from the petioles is applied to puncture wounds from thorns or other sharp objects.
A decoction of the leaves is used in the treatment of rheumatism.
A paste of the leaves is used as a treatment for boils.’
The dried leaves have been used as an entheogen, a component to some ancient rituals.
The seeds are ingested or smoked with the dried leaves as a marijuana substitute.
There is an increasing in following for its use as a marijuana substitute.
The young seeds and pods are edible when cooked. The mature seeds may be toxic.
Sea Lavender – Tournefortia gnaphalodes syn. Argusia gnaphalodes
Kings GC2 63; LC 56; CB 102.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p
Sempervivie, Sempervirens, Sinkle Bible – see Aloe Vera, Alloways, Bitter Aloes – Aloe vera
Serasee, Cerasee – Momordica charantia
Climbing vine with tendrils, yellow flowers, fruit bright orange, seeds embedded in crimson pulp.
GC 223.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.330
Soursop – Annona muricata
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.224.
Strong Back, Kidney Bush, Wild Coffee – Psychotria nervosa
Kings GC 316.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p
Tamarind – Tamarindus indica
Kings GC 81; CB 6.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.393.
Tea Banker, Mint – Pectis caymanensis
Critically Endangered mat-like herb with a woody taproot and bright yellow flowers. The leaves have a distinctive, lovely lemony scent.
Kings GC 58
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.663, Fig.255, Pl.64.
Cayman Islands Department of Environment FLICKER Bulletin No. 4, Dec. 2009, Tea Banker – Pectis caymanenisis pp.4-8:
Click here: Flicker_4 Dec 2009 Pectis
Tea Banker, Mint Pectis caymanensis (Urb.) Rydb. 1916 . Synonyms: Pectis cubensis of Hitchcock, 1893, not Griseb., 1866 Pectis cubensis var. caymanensis Urb.,1907 Family: ASTERACEAE (COMPOSITAE)
History Tea Banker was first recorded in the botanical literature of Grand Cayman in 1899 by Charles F. Millspaugh M.D. Department of Botany Curator, Field Columbian Museum, Chicago, Illinois. Millspaugh was a guest of Allison V. Armour, the Chicago meat-packing millionaire, on a West Indian cruise of the yacht ‘Utowana’; they visited the Cayman Islands during February, 1899. The chief set of Millspaugh’s specimens is in the herbarium of the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago. Millspaugh published lists of his collection. On February 8, 1899, the ‘Utowana’ stopped at The Creek ,‘Cayman Brae’ (Cayman Brac) A Norther sprang up in the night, so they had to leave for a point further west, where they anchored. They did some more collecting and then sailed on to Little Cayman, but found no safe harbour. They reached Georgetown (sic), Grand Cayman after dark on Feb. 9. The Health Officer forbade them to land as their last port (Port Antonio, Jamaica) was reported to be infected with measles. They were, however, given permission to go ashore elsewhere as long as they kept away from any other person or dwelling. Because of the Norther, they anchored at ‘Spot Bay’ (Spotts). Tea Banker was originally called Pectis cubensis, it had been found in Cuba. Millspaugh found it on Grand Cayman on Feb.14, 1899: ‘Fine full masses of this species were found in the sand of the roadside at Spot Bay, Grand Cayman (1279), but not seen elsewhere on the island. It is called “Flat-weed,” and is used in infusion as a stomachic tonic.’ Critically Endangered Tea Banker occurs in two varieties P. caymanensis var. caymanensis, Cuba, Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac, near endemic, and P. caymanensis var. robusta, Grand Cayman endemic. Both are Critically Endangered.
Plantae Utowanae 1898-1899
PLANTAE UTOWANAE
The Antillean Cruise of the Yacht Utowanae
Plants collected in Bermuda, Porto Rico, St. Thomas, Culebras, Santo Domingo, Jamaica, Cuba, The Caymans, Cozumel, Yucatan and the Alacran Shoals
by Charles Frederick Millspaugh MD, Curator of Botany, Field Museum, Chicago
Dec. 1898 to March 1899
Pectis p.109
Thistle, Thorn Thistle, Poppy Thistle, Yellow Prickly Poppy – Argemone mexicana
Kings GC 129, 161.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p. 236
Thorn Apple, Jimsonweed – Datura stramonium
‘Grows as a weed everywhere. The leaves are dried in the sun and smoked as cigarettes by asthmatical subjects. Its medicinal properties have been so frequently demonstrated all over the world that it is unnecessary to enter into further description.’
Notes on the History of the Cayman Islands by George S.S. Hirst, published in 1910, reprinted in 1967, p.373.
George Stephenson Shirt Hirst was born in Sindh, India, in 1872 and died 1912, age 40. He was both Commissioner and Medical Officer of the Cayman Islands from 1907-1912. Hirst Road is named after him.’
Thorn Apple – “leaves dried and smoked by asthmatical subjects; known throughout the world.” An Adventurer’s Guide to the Cayman Islands, the Islands Time Forgot, by George I. Hudson 1967.
Tittie Molly; Coastal Spurge – Euphorbia mesembryanthemifolia syn.Chamaesyce mesembryanthemifolia
A subwoody herb or miniature shrub that grows on sandy seashores or in ironshore pockets. All parts of the plant are poisonous and can be fatal if eaten.
The white latex from a broken stem was used to remove warts.
Kings GC 23, 272; LC 93; CB 26.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.468.
Tobacco Berry, Wild Tobacco, Snake Berry – Crossopetalum rhacoma
Vervine, Worry Vine, (Blue Bush); (Porter Weed) – Stachytarpheta jamaicensis
A tea made from it is said to foam like porter.
Leaves OPPOSITE or whorled, an annual weed of open waste places & dry sandy thickets & clearings. Larval food plant of Caribbean Buckeye butterfly – Junonia genoveva & nectar flower for several butterflies.
Kings GC 121 (Water Vine), GC 290, GC 291.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.573, Fig. 213, Pl.55.
Vitex, Chaste Tree, Monk’s Pepper, Lilac Butterfly Bush – Vitex agnus-castus
native to Mediterranean Europe and Central Asia, grown horticulturally in Cayman.
The peppercorn-sized fruits and other parts of the plant are used as a herbal remedy to treat a variety of ailments.The flowers attract butterflies.
Vitex (Monk’s Pepper) peppercorn-like fruits are sold in Cayman.
‘The Vitex agnus-castus fruit, also known as chasteberry or monk’s pepper, is about the size of a peppercorn. It’s produced by the chaste tree, which acquired its name because its fruit was likely used to decrease men’s libido during the Middle Ages.’
‘Overview – Uses – Side effects – Interactions – Dosing
Vitex agnus-castus tree is a shrub that is native to the Mediterranean and Central Asia. The shrub has long, finger-shaped leaves, blue-violet flowers, and dark purple berries. The fruit and seed are used to make medicine.’
Buckeye butterflies nectaring on Vitex, Lilac Butterfly Bush, after Hurricane Ivan, 2004.
Water Hyssop, Herb of Grace – Bacopa monnieri
Leaves opposite, fleshy; stems creeping, rooting at the nodes, much branched and forming mats. Flowers pale blue, mauve or white. It grows in wet pastures, damp lawns and beside fresh or brackish pools, is widespread in both New and Old World Tropics and has many different common names around the world.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.601
Bacopa monnieri hasn’t been recorded as a medicinal plant in Cayman.
It is a known larval food plant of the White Peacock butterfly (Anartia jatrophae), but in the Cayman Islands this butterfly’s larval food plant is unknown.
Bacopa monnieri is used in Ayurvedic traditional medicine to improve memory and to treat various ailments.
Water Vine – (see Vervine)
Leaves used to induce vomiting.
Kings GC 121.
Wiry Vine –
Leaves crushed and juice taken for Malaria.
Kings GC 7.
Wormwood, Running Wormwood, Geranium – Ambrosia hispida
Kings GC 260, 319; LC 25, 26.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.647.
Yellow Root, Rhubarb Root – Morinda royoc
Kings LC 112.
Flora of the Cayman Islands, Proctor, 2012 p.628.
Harmful Plants in Cayman
LOOK, DON”T TOUCH
Licorice, John Crow Bead, Rosary Pea, Crab’s Eyes – Abrus precatorius
Lorna McCubbin in Cousin Cora’s Cottage, Boggy Sand Road, West Bay. She compiled HEALING PLANTS of the CAYMAN ISLANDS, March 15, 1995.
George R. Proctor
REFERENCES
Adams, C.D., Flowering Plants of Jamaica, (1972), University of the West Indies
Adams, C.D., The Blue Mahoe and Other Bush, (1971), McGaw-Hill
Burton, Frederic J., Threatened Plants of the Cayman Islands The Red List, (2008), Kew
Carrington, Sean, Wild Plants of Barbados (1993), McMillan Caribbean
Cayman Islands Herbarium at the National Trust for the Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands National Archive
Hirst, George S.S., Notes on the History of the Cayman Islands, (1910)
Honychurch, Penelope N., Caribbean Wild Plants and their Uses, (1986), Macmillan Education Ltd
Kings, W., Report on the Botanical Collections, Oxford University Biological Expedition to the Cayman Islands (1938)
Levy, Jewel, Old-time bush medicine a treasured tradition, 2016, Cayman Compass
McCubbin, Lorna, Healing Plants of the Cayman Islands, (1993)
Proctor, George R., Flora of the Cayman Islands, (2012), Kew
Taylor, Walter Kingsley, Florida Wildflowersin Their Natural Communities (1998), University Press of Florida
Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info
by P. Ann van B. Stafford, August 16, 2019
caymannature 