DOI: 10.21276/sajp.2019.8.5.6

Pages: 200-207

Ornamental plants are commonly known for their excruciating beauty and meant to decorate the gardens, lawns, streets and roadside areas. Nowadays these ornamental plants are used as herbalism. This review article represents one of such ornamental plant, Hamelia patens native to American subtropics and tropics. Its native range extends from Florida in the southern US to Argentina. Hamelia patens belong to the coffee Family (Rubiaceae). It is growing worldwide in warm, moist areas and can tolerate the extreme temperature. It is commonly known as firebrush, hummingbird bush and used long before prehistoric time as they are able to prevent, treat or even cure human ailments. Hamelia patens is a superb plant which has inflammation, analgesic, antimicrobial, myometrium contraction, hypoglycemic effect, leishmanicidal activity, anti-diarrheal, anthelmintic, antidepressant, hepatoprotective, Antiurolithiatic, diuretic, wound healing, anti-oxidant and antinociceptive like effect. All these activities are due to the phytoconstituents present in roots, leaves, stems, and bark. Fruit of H.patens is edible. In this article, we discussed chemical constituents and medicinal uses of Hamelia patens.