12976 Bixa orellana – Lipstick Tree

Description

This beautiful, about 2 metres tall shrub, is cultivated in warmer regions for ornamental purposes but also for its completely non-poisonous pigments (E160[b]) which can be extracted from its fleshy seed coat. The red pigment is used for the production of lipsticks and for dyeing different food. The large, heart-shaped leaves and the upright growing tufts of small pink, rose-like flowers are especially characteristic of the plant. The almond-shaped fruits, densely covered with red bristles, are particularly conspicuous.