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Helicteres isora
Also called Red Isora, Spiralbush
Helicteres isora is a small tree or large shrub of tropical Asia, grown for its red flowers, fibrous bark and twisted fruits. It tolerates seasonally dry conditions and is best kept in a warm, sunny spot with moderate moisture.
Helicteres isora, sometimes called the Indian screw tree, is a small tree or large shrub found in southern Asia and northern Oceania. It is usually assigned to the family Malvaceae, but it is sometimes assigned to the family Sterculiaceae. The red flowers are pollinated mainly by sunbirds, butterflies, and Hymenoptera. In the 19th century fibers from the bark were used to make rope and sacks, although nowadays the tree is harvested for the fruits and roots which are used in folk medicine.
H. isora is a rich source of antioxidants, carbohydrates, proteins, fibre, calcium, phosphorus, and iron. Active phytoconstituents include gallic acid, caffeic acid, vanillin, and p-coumaric acid. Cucurbitacin b and isocucurbitacin b have been isolated from the roots. Additionally, Satake et al. (1999) isolated rosmarinic acid and their derivatives; isoscutellarein and their derivatives; D-glucopyranosyl isorinic acid with rosmarinic acid; helisterculins A and B; and helisorin.
H. isora is a tropical Asian plant. It is found throughout India and Pakistan, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, and Sri Lanka. However, it gregariously grows in dry deciduous forests of central and western India on hill slopes. It is also found on the Malay Peninsula, Java, and Australia.
Fruits of H. isora are exported from India to 19 countries, with a 36-month value of US$274,055. At the farm gate local harvesters receive 0.3 US$ per kg, while it can be sold overseas for 2 US$.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Helicteres isora by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
