Minnieroot
Ruellia Tuberosa
Minnieroot
Ruellia Tuberosa
Ruellia tuberosa, commonly known as minnieroot, fever root, snapdragon root, sheep potato, or cracker plant, is a small flowering plant that is found in Barbados and other tropical regions. Although native to Central America, it has become well established across the Caribbean, where it often grows wild along roadsides, in grassy areas, and in disturbed or cultivated land.
This plant is easily recognized by its attractive, funnel-shaped violet or purple flowers and its thick, tuber-like roots. It is usually low-growing and short-lived, but it spreads readily by seed. One of its most distinctive features is its dry seed pods, which “pop” open when moistened—something many children enjoy playing with, giving rise to names like popping pod, duppy gun, and cracker plant.
Ruellia tuberosa prefers moist, partly shaded areas but is highly adaptable and can also survive in dry, open conditions. In traditional folk and Ayurvedic medicine, the plant has long been used for a variety of purposes, including as a remedy for fever, pain, diabetes, and high blood pressure, as well as a general cooling and cleansing plant. In addition to its medicinal uses, it has also been used as a natural dye for coloring textiles.
Order: Lamiales
Family: Acanthaceae
Genus: Ruellia
Species: R. tuberosa
Binomial name: Ruellia tuberosa
Ruellia Tuberosa
Ruellia tuberosa, commonly known as minnieroot, fever root, snapdragon root, sheep potato, or cracker plant, is a small flowering plant that is found in Barbados and other tropical regions. Although native to Central America, it has become well established across the Caribbean, where it often grows wild along roadsides, in grassy areas, and in disturbed or cultivated land.
This plant is easily recognized by its attractive, funnel-shaped violet or purple flowers and its thick, tuber-like roots. It is usually low-growing and short-lived, but it spreads readily by seed. One of its most distinctive features is its dry seed pods, which “pop” open when moistened—something many children enjoy playing with, giving rise to names like popping pod, duppy gun, and cracker plant.
Ruellia tuberosa prefers moist, partly shaded areas but is highly adaptable and can also survive in dry, open conditions. In traditional folk and Ayurvedic medicine, the plant has long been used for a variety of purposes, including as a remedy for fever, pain, diabetes, and high blood pressure, as well as a general cooling and cleansing plant. In addition to its medicinal uses, it has also been used as a natural dye for coloring textiles.
Order: Lamiales
Family: Acanthaceae
Genus: Ruellia
Species: R. tuberosa
Binomial name: Ruellia tuberosa
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