Biological activities and toxicity of ornamental plants of Rio Grande do Sul: a review

Abstract

This paper presents a bibliographic survey about popular uses, toxicity and other biological activities of the following ornamental plants: Allamanda cathartica L., Bougainvillea spectabilis Willd., Cycas revoluta Thunb., Dietes bicolor (Steud.) Sweet ex Klatt, Duranta repens L., Ficus benjamina L., Fuchsia hybrida Hort. ex V. Vilm., Impatiens walleriana Hook. f., Pelargonium peltatum (L.) L’ Hér., Rhododendron simsii Planch, Rosa chinensis  Jacq., Strelitzia reginae Aiton, Tagetes erecta L. and Viola x wittrockiana Gams. These species were selected according to frequency of citations in the literature and volume of sales by regional floral shops. Besides its ornamental use nine species are used in the popular medicine (A. cathartica, B. spectabilis, C. revoluta, D. repens, F. benjamina, I. walleriana, R. chinensis, T.  erecta and Viola x wittrockiana) and six of them present toxicity reports (A. cathartica, B. spectabilis, C. revoluta, D. repens, F. benjamina and R. simsii). From these toxic species five (A. cathartica, B. spectabilis, C. revoluta, D. repens and F. benjamina) were also mentioned to have popular use. Most of the popular uses are not based on scientific studies.