Warszewiczia coccinea (or chaconia, wild poinsettia and pride of Trinidad and Tobago) is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae. It is the national flower of Trinidad and Tobago .
| Warszewiczia coccinea | |
|---|---|
| |
| Double chaconia at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Rubiaceae |
| Genus: | Warszewiczia |
| Species: | W. coccinea
|
| Binomial name | |
| Warszewiczia coccinea | |
This small, evergreen ornamental tree is remarkable for its inflorescence with bright red bracts and inconspicuous yellow petals.
A cultivar, the double chaconia, which has a double row of bracts, is the more widely cultivated form. This plant originates from cuttings taken from a wild plant found growing along a roadside. Since propagation from seed has not yet been successful, all double chaconias have been propagated by cuttings from this individual.
The Warszewiczia coccinea's habitat is lowland, forests and second growth. Its optimum altitude is 0 to 500 meters above sea level. It is rarely found in areas beyond 500 meters.[1]
References
edit- ^ Gargiullo, Margaret; Magnuson, Barbara (2008). A Field Guide to Plants of Costa Rica. USA: Oxford University Press. p. 129. ISBN 0199720037.
External links
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