The flower of the kiss or the lips of a prostitute

From the Rubiaceae family, Psychotria Elata is commonly known as the Kiss Flower, or Hot Lips Plant in English, due to the curious aspect of its bracts when they are in development and that later will form a crown to protect their flowers: they appear A pair of lips painted with very attractive and colorful colors just before giving a kiss.

It is a plant that rises in the wild, in jungle areas of Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Panama, with very high rainfall, from sea level to practically two thousand meters of altitude and is usually at the foot of the trees of the Tropical forests and on the banks of springs and streams.

However, in Colombia, where it originates, it is currently threatened by the deforestation of its habitat. Biannual plant with long and wide leaf, it is a small shrub or tree that can measure up to 8 meters.

The striking form of lips, although many think it is their flower, are their pair of large bracts and an intense red color that will protect their small white flowers.