iNaturalist Plant Observations - Costa Rica (iNaturalist:Plants-Costa Rica)
Lantana camara L.
Verbenaceae
common lantana
indianplumleaf
2018-06-22
Costa Rica, Puntarenas, Coto Brus, Las Cruces Biological Station, Coto Brus, Puntarenas, CR
8.78578 -82.9597166667 +-65m.
Family: Verbenaceae. Uses: Lantana camara stalks have been used in the construction of furniture, such as chairs and tables, however, the main uses have historically been medicinal and ornamental. Studies conducted in India have found that Lantana leaves can display antimicrobial, fungicidal and insecticidal properties. L. camara has also been used in traditional herbal medicines for treating a variety of ailments, including cancer, skin itches, leprosy, rabies, chicken pox, measles, asthma and ulcers.There are also some scientific studies which have shown beneficial effects of L .camara, such as one by R. Satish which found that an extract from the plant reduced ulcer development in rats. Extracts from the plant have also been used to treat respiratory infections in Brazil. Lantana camara has been grown specifically for use as an ornamental plant since Dutch explorers first brought it to Europe from the New World. Many butterfly species feed on the nectar of L. camara. Papilio homerus, the largest butterfly in the western hemisphere, is known to feed on the nectar of the flowers as opportunistic flower feeders.