Ciliosemina pedunculata

Ciliosemina pedunculata is a small woody plant. It comes from the tropics of South America. It belongs to Rubiaceae, the coffee family. Kew gives its native range as southern Venezuela to Peru. Useful Tropical Plants lists Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador too. It grows in a wet tropical climate. Sources do not say which wild habitats it grows in. Its current name dates from a change in 2005. Older works may use the name Remijia pedunculata.

Sources differ on its size and growth form. Plants For A Future calls it an evergreen shrub. It lists height and spread at about 10 feet [3 metres]. Useful Tropical Plants calls it a small tree. It gives a height of 10–15 feet [3–4.5 metres]. Kew also lists it as a tree. These records suggest a shrub or small tree form. They do not give a typical size for garden plants. The accounts give no details of leaf shape. They do not describe flowers, fruit, or bark texture either.

Plants For A Future gives the main advice for growth. It calls for sun, not a shaded site. Soil should stay moist but let water drain through. Its soil list includes sand, loam, and clay. Soil may be mildly acid, neutral, or mildly alkaline. That source lists USDA hardiness zones 10–12. Useful Tropical Plants gives no more advice on growing it. It records the plant as wild, not grown in cultivation. Both sources say growers can raise it from seed.

The bark has a history of use as medicine. Useful Tropical Plants reports past exports to Europe, including England. Both plant databases name it as a source of quinine. Their accounts link the bark to treating malaria and fever. They also list uses for cramps and nerve pain. They report use for heart rhythm disorders too. Recorded forms include extracts and powders. They also include tinctures and tablets. The accounts list throat gargles and cold remedies as well. These reports describe its use as medicine. They are not instructions for home treatment.

Neither database records any edible use for this species. Both state that they know of no hazards. This does not show that people or pets can use it safely. Plants For A Future lists no weed concern. Neither source names pests or diseases that affect the plant. The evidence gives no specific uses in the landscape. Its recorded value centres on its bark's use as medicine.