Red Physic Nut

gossypiifolia: with leaves like a Gossypium, i.e. palmately lobed

Multi-stemmed shrub. Stems and branches hollow, purple, covered in stalked glands (image 3). Leaves crowded near the ends of branches, palmately 3-5-lobed, dark purple when young, turning olive-green with age, margins and petioles with hair-like stalked glands. Flowers in terminal clusters, deep red with a yellow centre. Fruit a 3-lobed capsule.

Locally abundant

native to tropical America from Mexico to Paraguay and naturalised elsewhere