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Rivina humilis L.

Synonym	:	Piercea acuminata Raf.
Family	:	Phytolaccaceae
Local name	:	English -Blood Berry
Distribution	:	Native to the tropical and sub-tropical Americas
Habitat	:	wet tropics, found in forests, thickets, on roadsides, and disturbed areas at elevations from sea level to 1700 m
Uses		R. humilis is cultivated as an ornamental in warm regions throughout the world and is also valued as a shade-tolerant groundcover plant. It is also grown as a houseplant and in greenhouses. Juice made from the berries has been used as a dye for fabrics and cosmetics, and as an ink. The berries contain a pigment known as rivianin or rivinianin, very similar to betanin, the pigment found in beetroot. It has been used as a folk medicine to treat colds, diarrhoea, difficult urination, flatulence, gonorrhoea, jaundice and ovarian pain.
Key botanical characters:  R. humilis is an herbaceous to woody perennial plant up to about 1 m high. Stems are erect, dichotomously branched, angular, glabrous or slightly pubescent at the nodes. Leaves are elliptic to ovate, up to 12 cm long, long-petioled, the base rounded or attenuate, apex acuminate, glabrous to pubescent above and below, especially along the veins. Leaves are unpleasant-smelling when crushed. Inflorescences are terminal or axillary, up to 15 cm long, erect or curved, slender. Flowers are small, bisexual on pedicels up to 5 mm long, subtended by very small bracts and bracteoles, tepals 4, 2-3 mm long, green, white or pink, persistent; stamens 4. Ovary is superior, ovoid, 1-carpelled, 1-loculed. Style is shorter than the ovary, slightly curved; stigma capitate. The berry is red or orange, 3-4 mm in diameter; seeds furry, 3 mm in diameter.