珊瑚花 shan hu hua

Shrubs or treelets, 2-3(-6) m tall; stems glabrous. Stipules divided into forked setiform, to 2 cm; petiole 10-25 cm; leaf blade orbicular in outline, 10-30 cm wide, green adaxially, gray-green abaxially, glabrous on both surfaces, margin palmately 9-11-lobed, lobes entire; venation pinnate. Inflorescences terminal; peduncle 13-20 cm; pedicels short; flowers dense. Male flowers: calyx 2-3 mm, lobes 5, rotund, glabrous; sepals 5, spatulate, red, ca. 4 mm; stamens 8; filaments connate at base; anthers elongate. Female flowers: calyx as in male; sepals 6-7 mm, red; ovary glabrous; styles 3, connate in lower 1/2. Capsules ellipsoidal to obovate, ca. 3 cm, glabrous. Fl. Jul-Dec, fr. Sep-Feb.

Cultivated for ornamental and medicinal purposes. Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Yunnan [native to tropical and subtropical America].

The bark and leaves are used as medicine for neurodermatitis, itchy skin, and skin eczema.