Lipstick Tree


Scientific Name

Bixa orellana L.


Other Names


Life Form

Shrub


Family

Bixaceae



Image by - Saroj Kasaju
Usages

Dye- It is cultivated for the red, oil-soluble pigment, bixin, which is contained in the seed coat. It is used commercially as a food colorant and as a fabric dye. A paste prepared from the seeds is used as a skin paint (a common name is "lipstick tree").


Native to

Mexico to Tropical America.


Habitat

Thrives in the wet tropical biome but widely cultivated throughout the tropics due to its valuable uses.


Conservation Status

Least Concern



Plant Description

It is profusely fruiting shrub reaching 180 - 600 cm in height and living up to 50 years.

Stem is strong and woody, supporting the shrub's growth.

Leaves are large, oval-shaped leaves with pointed tips. They measure 5-15 cm long and 4-11 cm wide.

Flowers are showy and colorful, appearing in upright clusters that rise above the foliage. They come in white or pink, with five petals and a dense center filled with stamens. They are nearly 5 cm wide, and the petals often curl upwards.

Fruit is red, ovoid-shaped capsule covered in spines, measures 2.5-5 cm long and split into two valves when mature. Inside, numerous ovate seeds with a scarlet coating are packed. The fruit color (green or red) might vary depending on the flower color, but the seed coating remains scarlet.


Phenology

Flowering: October-December.