Beautiful Bitter
by Carolyn Marshall
Title
Beautiful Bitter
Artist
Carolyn Marshall
Medium
Photograph
Description
This is a shrub sometimes called Amargo, Bitter-ash, or Bitter-wood. The flowers are clusters of bright red on the outside and white inside. The fruit is a small drupe approximately one-third to two-thirds of an inch long. The Quassia amara is a species in the genus Quassia. Some botanists consider it the only species in that genus. It is called bitter because one of the many chemical components found in the wood is quassin, which is one of the most bitter substances found in nature. It has been used as an insecticide, medicine, flavor for some soft drinks, aperitifs and bitters (which can be put in cocktails or baked goods). It is a beautiful flower, too.
Uploaded
July 12th, 2013
Embed
Share
