Talk:Hamelia patens

This plant seems to have a bunch of common names, I just picked two, but I don't know if there's a protocol for listing all of them or not. Murderbike 16:23, 14 June 2007 (UTC)

Eye irritant?

I see there's no mention of this plant acting as an eye irritant, in spite of the news that megachurch pastor Rick Warren has been temporarily blinded as a result of pruning the plant: http://larrykinglive.blogs.cnn.com/2010/07/23/pastor-rick-warren-blinded-by-poisonous-plant-expected-to-recover/ . I'd be interested to know more about the dangers of the plant. BobbyPeru (talk) 19:08, 23 July 2010 (UTC)

I see that fireSTICK is a completely different plant. BobbyPeru (talk) 19:22, 23 July 2010 (UTC)

I just read the article you listed and I must say that I'm a bit surprised. I searched through the botanical literature and couldn't find any mention of this plant being able to do this. Additionally I've never heard of any other plant having such an effect from simply pruning it, except for perhaps say onions. It must be some interesting plant he pruned to have produced the effect. Either way without anything backing it up in the literature I don't know what can reliably be added to the article regarding its toxicity. I read of some topical analgesic usage by some native tribes, but nothing more. Strange that people would want to put it one their skin if there is such grave risk to their eyes. I think its more likely that the guy either misidentified the plant he pruned (after all he is not a botanist), mistaking the cause of his eye ailment for something else, some sort of allergic reaction not relating to its toxicity, or lying for publicity.Chhe (talk) 04:18, 24 July 2010 (UTC)

Does anyone have a map of the whole range?

It would be great to see the entire distribution and not just one little of its fringe in Florida. Bio-CLC (talk) 11:49, 15 November 2020 (UTC)