Cordia sebestena

Cordia sebestena

The Largeleaf geigertree (Cordia sebestena L. 1753) is an arboreal species belonging to the Boraginaceae family.

Systematic –
From a systematic point of view it belongs to:
Eukaryota domain,
Kingdom Plantae,
Spermatophyta Superdivision,
Division Magnoliophyta,
Class Magnoliopsida,
Subclass Asteridae,
Lamiales Order,
Family Boraginaceae,
Genus Cordia,
Species C. sebestena.
The terms are synonymous:
– Cordia juglandifolia Jacq.;
– Cordia laevis Jacq.;
– Cordia sebestena var. rubra Eggers;
– Cordia speciosa Salisb.;
– Lithocardium laeve (Jacq.) Kuntze;
– Lithocardium sebestana (L.) Kuntze;
– Lithocardium sebestena Kuntze;
– Sebesten sebestena (L.) Britton;
– Sebesten sebestena (L.) Britton ex Small;
– Sebestena repanda Raf.;
– Sebestena sebestena (L.) Britton;
– Sebestena sebestena (L.) Britton ex Small.
The following varieties are recognized within this species:
– Cordia sebestena var. caymanensis (Urb.) Proctor;
– Cordia sebestena var. sebestena.

Etymology –
The term Cordia is in dedicated honor of the German physicians and botanists Euricius Cordus (1486-1535) and his son Valerius (1515-1544).
The specific epithet sebestena derives from the similarity of the fruit with that of the Cordia mixa called “sebestan” in Persian.

Geographic Distribution and Habitat –
Cordia sebestena is a plant native to America, particularly the Bahamas, Belize, Cuba, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Florida.
Its habitat is that of arid areas and sandy soils, often found along the sea coast at altitudes up to 185 meters, in sandy thickets and on limestone rocks in arid coastal areas or on hilly soils in Florida.

Description –
Cordia sebestena is a plant that grows in the form of a small tree, up to 9-10 m in height, evergreen or deciduous, depending on the climate, and with dense foliage.
The trunk reaches a diameter of up to 30 cm.
The leaves are simple, oval or elliptical, 10-20 cm long and 5-12 cm wide, with entire or irregularly toothed margin towards the apex, of an intense green color and wrinkled to the touch on the upper surface due to the presence of short stiff hairs .
The inflorescences are terminal panicles bearing numerous hermaphroditic, funnel-shaped flowers, with a corolla of 3-4 cm in diameter with 5-6 irregular, creped lobes, of a bright orange-red colour.
The fruits are ovoid, pear-shaped, white drupes 2-4 cm long containing from 1 to 4 seeds.

Cultivation –
Cordia sebestena is a small tree with a dense foliage that is sometimes harvested in the wild for its edible fruit, which is consumed locally.
It often grows in nature on dry, sandy soils, tolerating a certain amount of salt in the soil; it is resistant to salty winds.
The cultivated plants are very resistant to drought and it is a tenacious but slow-growing tree; however, they are not very resistant to frost.
The plants respond well to coppice and can flower all year round when in cultivation.
This plant is widely cultivated throughout the tropics as an ornamental in gardens for its showy flowers. The wood has a rather light density, but the branches are not subject to breakage. The tree should be pruned in its youth to establish structure, as it is prone to low branching. Soil tolerance is quite broad, provided the soil drains well.
It is not particularly susceptible to pests and diseases, apart from the Eurypepla calochroma beetle which can cause occasional defoliation.
It enjoys full sun and can also grow in partial sun. Its uses include: street tree, shade tree, even as a container subject in its youth. It is planted in traffic islands and parking lots and is a useful seaside subject.
It benefits from regular watering, but also tolerates long periods of drought. Due to its almost continuous flowering, which stands out against the intense green of the foliage, it is often used both in private and public gardens and as street trees, particularly near the sea, resisting salt aerosols well.
Propagation can occur by seed which germinates very slowly; the process can be speeded up if the seed is scarified by slightly abrading the coating to allow water to enter more easily.
It can also be reproduced agamically by cutting.

Customs and Traditions –
Cordia sebestena is a plant known by various common names; among these the following are reported: “geiger tree”, large-leaf geiger tree”, “scarlet cordia” (English); “bois râpe”, “sébestier” (French); “sebesteira-verdadeira” (Portuguese); “anacahuita”, “anacuáhuitl”, “anaconda”, “macahuite”, “canalete”, “no me olvides”, “palo de asta”, “siricote blanco”, “sanjoaquín”, “siricote de playa”, “trompillo” , “uvita mocosa”, “ziricote” (Spanish); “scharlachkordie”, “sebestenenbaum” (German).
The fruits are edible, but do not have a particularly pleasant flavor and have a very limited consumption; all parts of the plant are variously used in traditional medicine.
The medicinal use of this species is documented in Quintana Roo and Yucatán, where it is prescribed against coughs. In this case the flowers and fruits are blanched and taken in the form of syrup or an infusion of the bark is drunk. The latter is also used in stomach disorders and as a febrifuge in Quintana Roo. It is said to serve as a healing agent.
The plant is grown for its medicinal leaves in Cuba and is widely grown as an ornamental in the Old World tropics, being prized especially for its large, bright orange-red flowers.
The timber is used locally. From the trunk a fine wood is obtained, appreciated for its hardness, high density, fine grain and for the design of the dark grain, which is used for sculptures, musical instruments and small objects.
Among other uses, remember that the large, rigid, dark green leaves are rough and hairy and look a lot like sandpaper. Several species of this genus have leaves that are used like sandpaper to polish surfaces.
The heartwood is dark brown; the thick band of sapwood is light brown or yellow. The wood is fine grained, fine in texture and satin in appearance, hard and heavy and is used locally for cabinet making, carpentry and building work.
From an ecological point of view it is not known whether this plant is subjected to serious threats or population decline. The plant is classified as “Least Concern” in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (2014).

Preparation Method –
Cordia sebestena is a plant that is used for many purposes; from the ornamental one, to the use of wood up to food and medicinal uses.
The fruits are eaten raw or cooked but not appreciated by everyone. They have a pleasant smell, but poor flavor, slightly fibrous and not particularly sweet pulp and somewhat mucilaginous.
In the medicinal field the plant is used in the treatment of fevers.
The leaves are emollient. They are used in the treatment of bronchitis, cough, fever and flu.
The plant has been used as a remedy for intestinal and stomach disorders, and also for bronchial diseases.
A syrup prepared with bark, flowers and fruits is a local remedy for chest diseases.

Guido Bissanti

Sources
– Acta Plantarum – Flora of the Italian Regions.
– Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
– GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
– Useful Tropical Plants Database.
– Conti F., Abbate G., Alessandrini A., Blasi C. (ed.), 2005. An annotated checklist of the Italian vascular flora, Palombi Editore.
– Pignatti S., 1982. Flora d’Italia, Edagricole, Bologna.
– Treben M., 2000. Health from the Lord’s Pharmacy, Advice and experiences with medicinal herbs, Ennsthaler Editore.

Photo source:
– https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/288501874/original.jpeg

Attention: Pharmaceutical applications and food uses are indicated for informational purposes only, they do not represent in any way a medical prescription; we therefore decline any responsibility for their use for healing, aesthetic or food purposes.