Beadplant

Nertera granadensis

''Nertera granadensis'', also known as coral bead plant, is a ground cover with orange berries, of the genus ''Nertera''. ''Nertera granadensis'' has an unusually extensive transcontinental distribution surrounding the Pacific Ocean, occurring from southern Chile and western Argentina north to Guatemala, and in Hawaii, New Zealand, eastern Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Taiwan.
Coral bead plant - Nertera granadensis Found in the forests of Reserva Cerro de Las Vueltas, Costa Rica. Costa Rica,Geotagged,Nertera granadensis,Spring

Distribution

In the tropical regions of the western Pacific, ''Nertera granadensis'' only occurs at high altitudes. It does also occur on the Juan Fernández Islands. It is grown as an ornamental plant in gardens, and the name given to the plant in Mapudungun and Chilean Spanish is ''rucachucao''. The name ''granadensis'' derives from New Granada, the old name of Colombia.

Defense

The plant possesses brightly colored fruit, and likely offers visual appeal to young children and pets. Fortunately, the toxicity of ''Nertera granadensis'' appears to be quite low, and there are no known toxins associated with the particular parts of the plant. One study noted that of 21 children known to have ingested the plant, only five showed mild symptoms associated with poisoning, such as tiredness, stomach pains, and vomiting. In addition, a 2+1⁄2-year-old child ingested 20 of the ''Nertera granadensis'' berries with no visible ill effects.

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Taxonomy
KingdomPlantae
DivisionAngiosperms
ClassEudicots
OrderGentianales
FamilyRubiaceae
GenusNertera
SpeciesN. granadensis
Photographed in
Costa Rica