Bixaceae

Each "thumbnail" image below is linked to a larger photograph.


Bixa orellana, arnotto dye plant, 'alaea, lipstick plant. Evergreen shrub from tropical America with attractive pink or white flowers. The prickly fruits contain 50 or so seeds with a scarlet, waxy covering that yields a bright yellow dye. The dye is used commercially in cosmetics and to color such foods as butter, cheese, and chocolates.
Cochlospermum vitifolium, buttercup tree.

Plant Family Access Page
Home Page