FAGOPYRUM ESCULENTUM Moench. Buckwheat (E); Alforjon (C). The seed are a valuable
grain, the leaves a potherb, rarely, if ever, planted in Panama. Elsewhere the plant serves as a honey
and fodder plant.
Falco: Cephalotomandra (C)
Faldo: Ischnosiphon (P)
Falso guaco: Mikania micrantha (C)
Faragua: Hyparrhenia (P)
Farol: Abutilon (CR)
Farolollo: Abutilon (CR); Campanula (C)
Farolito: Abutilon (CR); Aristolochia (S); Cardiospermum (C)
FEBRIFUGE: A substance for combating fever. Acacia, Adansonia, Allamanda, Allium,
Alternanthera, Anacardium, Andira, Argemone, Aristolochia, Artemisia, Bambusa, Bixa, Byrsonima,
Caesalpinia, Calycophyllum, Capraria, Carapa, Cardiospermum, Carica, Cassia, Cedrela,
Chomelia, Chrysophyllum, Cinchona, Cissampelos, Citrus, Coccoloba, Cocos, Coffea, Conocarpus,
Corynostylis, Costus, Coutabea, Coutarea, Crateva, Crescentia, Croton, Cuphea, Cyperus,
Dodonaea, Doliocarpus, Corstenia, Doxantha, Emilia, Entada, Eryngium, Eupatorium, Gliricidia,
Gunnera, Hedyosmum, Hippocratea, Indigofera, Jatropha, Lantana, Mammea, Melia, Mimosa,
Lantana, Mammea, Melia, Mimosa, Momordica, Moringa, Neurolaena, Parkinsonia, Paspalum,
Petiveria, Picramnia, Piper, Pithecellobium, Picramnia, Piper, Pithecellobium, Pluchea, Plumeria,
Quassia, Randia, Rhizophora, Schultesia, Scoparia, Sesbania, Simaba, Simarouba, Siparuna,
Solanum, Spondias, Swietenia, Tabebuia, Tamarindus, Tephrosia, Terminalia, Tetracera, Thevetia,
Urera, Ximenia, Xylopia, Zornia.
Feguo: Brosimum (CR); Helicostylis (CR)
Feli: Pera (P)
FENCE POSTS : Poles that take root as live trees when placed in the ground. Acnistus,
Bursera, Diphysa, Erythrina, Ficus, Gliricidia, Guazuma, Jatropha, Lemaireocereus, Melia,
Pereskia, Spondias, Tabebuia.
Fetis tree: Kigelia (E)
FICUS CITRIFOLIA P.Mill. Wild fig (E); Caucho menudito (C); Higueron (C,D); Higo (P);
Saguagua (Cu); Suu (Cu); Tugua (Ch); Tuu (Cu) . The ripe fruits are edible. The latex
serves as chewing gum, vermifuge and birdlime. Indians use as a protective application to wounds
(!). The leaves of some Ficus spp. serve as valuable fodder during the dry season. Some natives
belileve that Ficus seeds turn into black flies (!).
Fiddlewood: Chimarrhis (B); Citharexylum (E)
Fireweed: Erechtites (E)
FIREWOOD : Wood that burns when green. Astrocaryum, Bactris, Brosimum, Bursera,
Calycophyllum, Casuarina, Cochlospermum, Nectandra, Pterocarpus, Rhizophora, Simarouba,
Sloanea, Trichilia.
Firiguelo: Phaseolus (C)
Fish-poison tree: Piscidia (E)
FISTULA: An abnormal passage between two internal organs. Treated with Thespesia.
Fitofito: Sisyrinchium (C)
Fittonia: Mala mujer (C); Zaragoza (C)
Fitweed: Eryngium (E)
Fiu: Calocarpum (CR)
Flamboyan: Delonix (S)
Flamboyant: Delonix (E)
Flametree: Delonix (E)
Flamula: Masdevallia (C)
Flat-sedge: Cyperus (E)
Flautillo: Pennisetum (C)
Flechero: Cochlospermum (C)
Floral: Sapium (C)
Flor de Alcatraz: Aristolochia (C)
Flor de alacran: Heliotropium (P)
Flor alta: Zinnia (C)
Flor de amarilla: Tecoma (N); Vochysia (C)
Flor de amor: Falcaria (CR)
Flor de angel: Caesalpinia (C); Delonix (C)
Flor de arco: Triplaris (N)
Flor de azahar: Cinchona (C)
Flor azul: Plumbago (C)
Flor de baile: Epiphyllum (C)
Flor blanca: Plumeria (CR)
Flor de burro: Capparis (C); Xylopia (C)
Flor de cera: Hoya (C)
Flor de chichine: Canavalia (P)
Flor de la cruz: Brownea (C); Petrea (P)
Flor de culebra: Aristolochia (D)
Flor de dia: Wercklea (CR)
Flor de espina: Randia (C)
Flor de fuego: Delonix (S)
Flor de garrobo: Triplaris (N)
Flor de garza: Hygrophila (P); Lobelia (P)
Flor de la Habana: Nerium (C)
Flor de indigo: Pithecellobium (P)
*Flor de Mayo: Meriana (C)
*Flor de muerto: Jussiaea (C); Oenothera (C)
Floripondio: Centrosema (P); Datura (P)
Florito: Caesalpinia (C)
Flor de Jesucristo: Brownea (CR)
Flor de luna: Calonyction (CR)
Flor de mariposa: Dalechampia (C)
*Flor de mayo: Meriania (C); Petrea (P); Vochysia (P)
*Flor de muerto: Coussarea (C); Jussiaea (C); Tagetes (CR); Palicourea (C)
Flor de navidad: Steiractinia oyedaeoides (C)
Floron: Plumeria (C)
Flor de pajarito: Arrabidaea (P)
Flor de palo: Plumeria (N)
Flor de pan: Plumeria (N)
Flor de paraiso: Sobralia (C)
Flor de pascua: Aristolochia (CR); Euphorbia (S)
Flor de pavo: Caesalpinia (C); Delonix (C)
Flor de principe: Pancratium (C)
Flor de reina: Cymbolanthus (CR)
Flor de sancayetano: Lantana (C)
Flor de Sanjuan: Cattleya (C)
Flor de Santa Ana: Beaumontia (CR)
Flor de toro: Plumeria (N)
Flor de vaca: Stanhopea (CR)
Flor de verano: Bougainvillea (N); Ipomoea (N)
Flor de volcan: Solanum (CR)
Flor de zorro: Capparis (C)
Flower fence: Caesalpinia (E)
Flotilla: Tradescantia (C)
FODDER: Plants which serve as food for cattle. Acrocomia, Bactris, Brosimum, Calophyllum,
Canna, Cecropia, Ceiba, Crotalaria, Dioscorea, Eichhornia, Enterolobium, Erythrina, Fagopyrum,
Ficus, Genipa, Guazuma, Manihot, Marathrum, Mirabilis, Parmentiera, Prosopis, Pseudolmedia,
Saccharum, Samanea, Spondias, Sterculia, Trophis, Xylopia. Many grasses and legumes.
Forastera: Silene (C)
Fosforito: Protium (N); Trichilia (P)
Four-o'clock: Mirabilis (E)
Foxtail grass: Setaria (E)
FRAGARIA spp. Strawberry (E); Fresa (P). Apparently all Panama strawberries are grown in the
Chiriqui Highlands.
Frailecillo: Jatropha (CR,CR/ROC); Tabernaemontana (C)
Frailejon: Espeletia spp. (C); Jatropha (C)
Frailejon blanco: Senecio rufescens (C)
Frailejon de Casilla: Gomphrena (C)
Framboyan: Delonix (S)
Frambuesa: Rubus (S)
Frangipani: Plumeria (E)
Fresa: Fragaria (S)
Frescura: Thespesia (N)
Fresno amarillo: Tecoma (C)
Fresnillo: Tecoma (C)
Fria: Dialium (P)
Friega-plata : Miconia (C,P); Pavonia (P); Solanum (N,P); Waltheria (P)
Frijol: Phaseolus (S)
Frijolato: Swartzia (C)
Frijol de monte: Cassia (P)
Frijol negro: Phaseolus (S)
Frijol de palo: Cajanus (P)
Frijol terciopelo: Stizolobium (C)
Frio: Saurauia (P)
Frisol: Phaseolus (C)
Froro: Erythrina (CR)
Fru: Erythrina (CR)
FRUIT EDIBLE, COOKED: Fruit said to be edible after cooking or processing. Aechmea, Alibertia,
Artocarpus, Blighia, Cajanus, Canavalia, Capsicum, Carica, Cassia, Ceiba, Chayota, Cocos,
Crotalaria, Cucurbita, Cyphomandra, Dolichos, Elaterium, Enterolobium, Guilielma, Hibiscus,
Lagenaria, Lens, Luffa, Momordica, Montrichardia, Mucuna, Musa, Neptunia, Nymphaea,
Phaseolus, Physalis, Prosopis, Psophocarpus, Sechium, Sesbania, Sicana, Solanum, Spathiphyllum,
Vicia.
FRUIT EDIBLE, RAW: Fruits, at least part of which are edible raw when they ripen on the plant.
Acacia, Acantho cereus, Achras, Acrocomia, Aechmea, Anacardium, Ananas, Annona, Anthurium,
Ardisia, Aristolochia, Astrocaryum, Averrhoa, Bactris, Beilschmiedia, Bellucia, Borojoa, Bromelia,
Brosimum, Bunchosia, Byrsonima, Calocarpum, Campomanesia, Carica, Casearia, Casimiroa,
Cassia, Cavendishia, Celtis, Ceratonia, Cholorophora, Chomelia, Chrysobalanus, Chrysophyllum,
Cissus, Citharexylum, Citrullus, Citrus, Clavija, Clidemia, Coccoloba, Cocos, Coffea, Conostegia,
Cordia, Couma, Coupeia, Crateva, Cucumis, Cyclanthera, Cyphomandra, Dialium, Diospyros,
Epiphyllum, Eugenia, Ficus, Fragaria, Fuchsia, Garcinia, Genipa, Gonzalagunia, Guazuma,
Guilielma, Gustavia, Hamelia, Hedyosmum, Henriettea, Henrietella, Hesperomeles, Hirtella,
Hylocereus, Hymenaea, Inga, Lacmellia, Lantana, Lemaireocereus, Licania, Loreya, Lucuma,
Malpighia, Malvaviscus, Mammea, Mangifera, Manilkara, Maripa, Matisia, Melicoccus, Melothria,
Miconia, Momordica, Monstera, Morinda, Morisonia, Mourira, Muntingia, Musa, Myrcia, Opuntia,
Pandanus, Parmentiera, Passiflora, Patinoa, Paullinia, Pentagonia, Pereskia, Persea, Phyllanthus,
Physalis, Phytelephas, Pithecellobium, Podocarpus, Posoqueria, Poulsenia, Pourouma, Pouteria,
Prosopis, Pseudolmedia, Psidium, Puncia, Pyrenoglyphis, Quararibea, Randia, Rheedia, Rollinia,
Roystonea, Sabicea, Sambucus, Satyria, Saurauia, Sicana, Sideroxylon, Simarouba, Sloanea,
Solanum, Spondias, Symphonia, Talisia, Tamarindus, Theobroma, Thevetia, Tournefortia, Trapa,
Trophis, Vitex, Vitis, Ximenia, Zizyphus.
Fruta de burro: Capparis (C); Xylopia (C)
Fruta de culebra: Melothria (C)
Fruta del diablo: Rauvolfia (P)
Fruta de gonzalo: Vitex (C)
Fruta de indio: Pourouma (C)
Fruta de mono: Isertia (P); Pachira (P); Posoqueria (CR,P), Rheedia (P), Salacia (P)
Fruta de murcielago: Isertia (P); Posoqueria (P); Strychnos (P)
Fruta de pan: Artocarpus (S)
Fruta de pava: Adenaria (P); Ardisia (P); Chione (CR); Conostegia (P); Miconia (C); Ossaea (C); Psychotria (C)
Fruta de piojo: Apeiba (P)
Fruta de rosa: Hemiangium (N)
Fruta de zorro: Capparia (C)
Frutilla: Tournefortia (N)
Fuschia: Clerodendron (CR)
FUCHSIA ARBORESCENS Sims. The fruit is edible.
Fumo: Toxicodendron (C)
FUNASTRUM CLAUSUM Schlechter. Bejuco de leche (C); Mata-torsalo (S). A poultice of
the leaves is applied to kill screw-worm larvae in human flesh. The latex removes warts.
Funcia: Scleria (C)
Fune: Trichanthera (C)
Funeraria: Cobaea (C)
FUNGICIDE: A substance that kills fungi, e.g., ringworm. Anacardium, Bixa, Carica, Cassia,
Mangifera, Thespesia, Vismia, Ximenia.
FURCRAEA sp. Cabuya (CR,P,C). A good source of cordage. It is reported to be used as a fish
poison around Ocu. A detergent is obtained by pounding the leaves and flower stalks, which also
has bleaching qualities.
Fusete: Chlorophora (C)
Fusia: Fuchsia (CR)
Fustic: Chlorophora (E)