Rivina humilis
Introduction '''''Rivina humilis''''' is a species of flowering plant in the family Petiveriaceae. It was formerly placed in the pokeweed family, Phytolaccaceae. It can be found in the southern United States, the Caribbean, Central America, and tropical South America. Common names include '''pigeonberry''', '''rougeplant''', '''baby peppers''', '''bloodberry''', and '''coralito'''. The specific epithet means "dwarfish" or "lowly" in Latin, referring to the plant's short stature.
Description Pigeonberry is an erect, vine-like herb, reaching a height of . The leaves of this evergreen perennial are up to  wide and , with a petiole  in length. Flowers are on racemes  long with a peduncle  in length and pedicels  long. Sepals are  in length and white or green to pink or purplish. The fruit is a glossy, bright red berry  in diameter.Rivina humilis plant with fruit and flowers.
Habitat ''Rivina humilis'' can be found in forests, thickets, shell middens, hammocks, roadsides, and disturbed areas at elevations from sea level to . It requires less than partial sun and is tolerant of full shade. It is also tolerant of salt spray and saline soils.It is considered invasive in New Caledonia, where it was likely introduced in 1900.It is considered a weed in Queensland, Australia where it has naturalised, and is also naturalised on Cocos Islands, Réunion, Norfolk Island, Fiji, Tonga, French Polynesia, Hawaii, India and the Galapagos Islands.
Uses Pigeonberry is cultivated as an ornamental in warm regions throughout the world and is valued as a shade-tolerant groundcover. It is also grown as a houseplant  and in greenhouses.The juice made from the berries was used as a dye and ink at one time. The berries contain a pigment known as '''rivianin''' or '''rivinianin''', which has the IUPAC name 5-O-β-D-Glucopyranoside, 3-sulfate, CAS number 58115-21-2, and molecular formula C24H26N2O16S. It is very similar to betanin, the pigment found in beets. The fruit also contains the betaxanthin humilixanthin.The juice of the berries have been tested in male rats and are reported to be safe to consume.
Ecology ''R. humilis'' is a host plant for the caterpillars of Goodson's greenstreak (''Cyanophrys goodsoni'')
References
External links * ''Rivina humilis'' can also be found in the Philippines from the Int'l Society for Taxonomic Explorations by Isidro A. T. Savillo