Cordia

Cordia is a genus of flowering plants in the borage family, Boraginaceae. It contains about 300 species of shrubs and trees, that are found worldwide, mostly in warmer regions. Many of the species are commonly called manjack, while bocote may refer to several Central American species in Spanish. The generic name honours German botanist and pharmacist Valerius Cordus (1515–1544).

Description

The Cordia species are shrubs and trees. The leaves are evergreen or deciduous, opposite or alternate, simple ovate to lanceolate, with serrate or entire margins, and pinnate venation. The flowers are white, orange, yellow, or red, small to conspicuous, and arranged in terminal or axillary cymes. The fruit is a drupe, often septicidal.

Uses

Many species of Cordia are used in traditional medicine. For example, Cordia dichotoma is used in Ayurvedic medicine under the Sanskrit name Shleshmataka. Cordia myxa is used in Unani medicine and its fruit is used for culinary purposes in South Asia.

Species

There are about 300 species in the genus Cordia. Some of the notable species include:

• Cordia alliodora - Equador laurel
• Cordia boissieri - Texas wild olive
• Cordia dichotoma - Fragrant manjack
• Cordia myxa - Assyrian plum
• Cordia sebestena - Geiger tree

External links

• The Plant List: Cordia

Cordia Resources
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