Madamfate

Hippobroma longiflora (L.) G. Don, Gen. Hist. 3:717. 1834
iMbelia longiflora L. Sp. PI. 930, 1753.
Rapuntium longiflcrum Mill. Gard. Diet. ed. 8. Rapuntium, no. 7. 1768. Isotoma longiflora Presl. Prodr. Mon. Lob. 42. 1836.
iMurenlia longiflora F. E. Wimmer, Field Mus. Publ. Bot. 13«: 4Z4. 1937. Not Laurentia longiflora Schlechter, 1922.
Roots somewhat fleshy (woody?); stems coarse, with acrid, milky, poisonous juice, erect or decumlient, up to 7 mm. in diameter at base, simple or with a few subordinate side branches^ pubescent at least above, or nearly glabrous, pale yellow-green, 15-50 (90) cm. high; cauline leaves few-25, spreading or ascending, membranous, pubescent on the veins and on the lower surface or almost glabrous, said to be dull blue-green above and glossy gray-green beneath, the blades elliptic to oblanceolate, coarsely rcpand-dentate and minutely callose-dcnticulale on the margin, narrowed abruptly to the obtuse or subacute mucronulate apex and drawn out gradually to the narrow subpetiolar decurrent base, 2.5-6 cm. wide by 10-24 cm. long, usually 3-4 limes as long as wide; flowers 8-35 in the axils of the upper leaves, the "inflorescence" 6-26 cm. long and comprising half to two-thirds the height of the entire plant or even more; i)cdiccls more or less upright in flower (declined in fruit), 7-15 mm. long in fruit, about 1 mm. in diameter, short-hirsute, each normally with a pair of filiform bracteolcs, 2-4 mm. in length, at or near the base; flower 80-160 mm. long, including hypanthiuin; corolla slightly fragrant, pubcrulcnt except on the inner side of the lol>es, the tube narrowly cylindric, 50-135 mm. long, 1.0-2.5 mm. in diameter, the Iol>cs subcqual, spreading, 3-10 mm. wide by 13-27 mm. long; filaments 58-95 mm. long, equaling or somewhat exceeding the corolla-tul>c, connate by I heir edges (or exceptionally free) at af>cx, adnatc to the corolla-lul>c and free from each other from base to a point just Wow the apex of the tulje; anther-tul)c 5-6 mm. long by about 2 mm. in diaiiieirr, all the anthers whitc-l>cardcd at extreme tip, the two shorter ones densely tufted; liypant Ilium in anlhcsis turbinate, sparsely shorl-hirsute, becoming ellipsoid or cllipsoid-campunulalc in fruit, 7-9 mm in diameter; capsule three-fourths inferior or more, 12-17 mm. long, often appearing 100

Hippobroma longiflora, also called Star of Bethlehem or madamfate, is a flowering plant in the family Campanulaceae. It is the only species in the genus Hippobroma. It is endemic to the West Indies, but has become naturalized across the American tropics and Oceania.

It is notable for its concentrations of two pyridine alkaloids: lobeline and nicotine. The effects of nicotine and lobeline are quite similar, with psychoactive effects at small dosages and with unpleasant effects including vomiting, muscle paralysis, and trembling at higher dosages. For this reason, H. longiflora (and its various synonyms) is often referenced for both its toxicity and its ethnobotanical uses.

When uprooting this weed, it is important to wear gloves: the sap is an irritant which can be absorbed through the skin, and a small amount of sap in the eyes can cause blindness.