Information about Golden Dewdrop

The genus name is in honor of Castor Durantes, a fifteenth century Italian botanist. The specific epithet erecta means “upright” in Latin. The plant is also known as D. repens, from the Latin for “creeping”. The latter name was initially used to identify smaller-leaved varieties of the species. Duranta is registered as an invasive weed by many councils of Australia. It is a prolific, fast growing weed that is spread by birds from domestic areas to natural reserves. It was introduced and marketed as a hedge plant some years ago. Many people now fight to keep this thorny pest under control. It is highly ranked in the most invasive weeds in Australia. The leaves and fruits are also poisonous to people and animals and they are reported to have caused the poisoning of domestic cats and dogs. It is reported to invade riparian habitats and scrublands and it is listed as one of the 50 most invasive species in New South Wales and among the top 100 most invasive plants in southeastern Queensland.

Plant Description

Golden dewdrop is a spreading, sprawling thorny or vine-like tender evergreen shrub or small tree that normally grows up to 6 m (20 ft.) tall and can spread to an equal width. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental and is also used as a hedge plant. The plant is found growing in scrub, open woodlands, disturbed areas, riparian habitats, coastal hills, grasslands, densely forested areas and roadsides, dry broadleaf evergreen formation, forests, shrub lands, pine woodlands, human altered environments, river banks, in scrubby vegetation of grazing paddocks and foreshore slopes in open forests. The plant tolerates acidic to slightly alkaline soils and is moderately salt tolerant. It prefers well drained, sandy, gravely, fertile soils and partial shade. Stem is square, herbaceous but woody below, erect, branched, solid, green. Sharp axillary thorns are usually present on stems of mature plants, but are usually absent on young plants. Bark is light gray, becoming rough and fissured when old.

Leaves

Leaves are light green, elliptic to ovate, opposite, and grow up to 7.5 cm (3.0 in) long and 3.5 cm (1.4 in) broad, with pointed or rounded tips and pointed base; the margins, entire or slightly toothed. Petiole is 1.5 cm long.

Flower

The zygomorphic, perfect, complete flowers are arranged in terminal and axillary pendulant racemes blooming almost all year long. The calyx has 5 fused greenish sepals. The corolla has 5 fused purple-pink petals often with a white edge and/or striping. There are 4 functional stamens and 1 staminode that are fused to the throat of the corolla. The ovary is superior with 4 locules and multiple ovules. Flowering normally takes place from May to September. The full clusters of fragrant, pale blue flowers attract butterflies in summer.

Fruits

Fertile flowers are followed by small globose fleshy, yellow or orange berry, up to 11 mm (0.43 in) diameter and containing several seeds. The berries change color from orange to a dark purple similar to mulberries once ripened and are edible without side-effects. However, songbirds eat the fruit without ill effects. The seeds of this species are dispersed naturally by birds that eat the fruits, and accidentally through garden waste disposal by humans and the nursery trade.

Flowers and fruit are often found on the plant simultaneously and make an attractive show. Yellow fruit often hangs on the plant into the winter if the birds don’t eat them.

Traditional uses and benefits of Golden dewdrop

• Flowers are believed to be stimulant. (1)
• Infusion of leaves and juice of fruit are diuretic. (2), (3)
• Leaves used for treatment of abscesses. (4)
• In Bangladesh, tribal and mainstream use for malaria. Also used by mainstream Kavirajes as insect repellent, treatment of itches, infertility, fever, and pneumonia. (5)
• Decoction of whole plant used for asthma, bronchitis, and fever in Andhra Pradesh, India. (6)
• In India, leaves and stems used for treatment of cataracts. (7)
• In the southeastern part of Nigeria, fruits used for treatment of malaria, abscesses, and parasitism. (8)
• Its fruits are used as febrifuge and are a treatment for malaria and intestinal worms. (9)

Other Facts

• D. erecta is cultivated as an ornamental and as a plant used in hedges and windbreaks.
• It also has medicinal uses in China.
• The wood is light brown and hard and useful for stakes and fuel.
• Fruit juice is also known to be used against mosquitoes.

Precautions

• Leaves and berries of the plant are toxic, and are confirmed to have killed children, dogs and cats.
• Golden dewdrop is a poisonous plant and has caused deaths of children.
• Saponins in the fruits and foliage cause gastro enteric irritation, drowsiness, fever, nausea, vomiting, and convulsions.
• Fruit is slightly poisonous with alkaloid type reactions.
• Deaths have been reported from ingestion.

References:

https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=502187#null

http://www.hear.org/pier/species/duranta_erecta.htm

https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/20192

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=287483&isprofile=0&

https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=DUER

https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?id=405771

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duranta_erecta

https://enacademic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/11600989

http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-65221

http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Sky%20Flower.html

https://indiabiodiversity.org/species/show/266148

http://www.stuartxchange.org/Duranta

https://gd.eppo.int/taxon/DUTPL

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