Species
+

Russelia equisetiformis Schltdl. & Cham.

Coral de Italia, Firecracker plant, Firecracker plant (EN), Fountain plant

Climate known 58 photographs
Add one to my plants Sow seed

Every figure on this page is derived from public data by a stated rule and says its source; nothing here is written by a person or a model, except the Wikipedia passage, which is quoted and marked as such. How it is made.

Summary

Russelia equisetiformis, the fountainbush, firecracker plant, coral plant, coral fountain, coralblow or fountain plant, is a species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae.

Text from Wikipedia, “Russelia equisetiformis”, CC BY-SA 4.0, quoted as written. Kept separate from everything derived here.

About the genus · Russelia

Russelia is a genus of flowering plants in the plantain family, Plantaginaceae. It is sometimes placed in the families Scrophulariaceae or Veronicaceae. The name honours Scottish naturalist Alexander Russell (1715–1768). More on Wikipedia ›

The opening of Wikipedia, “Russelia”, CC BY-SA 4.0, quoted as written.

Family
Plantaginaceae
Described by
Schltdl. & Cham.
Native to
Mexico Central, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Gulf +3
Wild records
321 in range· 105 open

At a glance

Warmest month
31°C
Jun, mean day; nights 23 °C (CHELSA)
Rain
1073mm/yr
12 wet months · peak Sep 176 mm (CHELSA)
Light
23–40DLI
mol/m²/day, winter to summer, open sky (CHELSA shortwave)
In short condensed by rule from the cultivation cards · not written by a person
Rain rule: a summer growing season, June to October in the northern hemisphere (June to October at the habitat, northern). Habitat rain 1073 mm a year, wettest September at 176 mm, driest March at 31 mm (habitat calendar, northern hemisphere). Open sky over the habitat: 23 to 40 mol/m²/day. Cold floor 2.4 °C (1st-percentile habitat night, NASA POWER).
Each sentence is one card's own one-line form, written by the same rule as the card (Its year, Rain, Light, Temperature); the note cannot say what a card does not. Months are given for the northern hemisphere (set your site in Settings to change this), and the habitat's own alongside. The cards · the figures.

Also known as Russelia juncea Zucc.

Cultivation

Its year Rain rule: a summer growing season, June to October in the northern hemisphere (June to October at the habitat, northern).

This species’ habitat figures, and what two fixed rules read from them.

The rain rule reads a summer growing season: 70% of the year's rain (752 mm of 1073 mm) falls in June to October, warmer than the year (wet-season mean 26.5 °C against a yearly mean of 23.0 °C). Months are the habitat's, northern hemisphere; shifted six months for a southern-hemisphere collection: December to April.

Read from the median year of CHELSA monthly rainfall and mean temperature across the envelope cells: the rain rule takes the smallest set of months carrying 70% of the rain and calls it winter when its mean is more than half a degree below the year's, summer when more than that above, and neither in between; the temperature rule, used only under 120 mm, names the cooler six months when they are at least a degree cooler than the other six. Months are shifted for the other hemisphere only where the temperature curve gives a season to reverse. A reading of the curves, not an observation of the plant.

Rain Habitat rain 1073 mm a year, wettest September at 176 mm, driest March at 31 mm (habitat calendar, northern hemisphere).

This species’ habitat figures, with their source.

1073 mm a year at the habitat, 752 mm of it June to October. Wettest month September at 176 mm, driest March at 31 mm. Across the envelope cells the year's total runs 479 mm to 1895 mm (10th to 90th percentile of each cell's own year) (median year across the envelope cells, CHELSA; habitat calendar, northern hemisphere).

CHELSA monthly precipitation, median year across the envelope cells. The rain that falls where the species is recorded; nothing about how the plant takes water.

Light Open sky over the habitat: 23 to 40 mol/m²/day.

This species’ habitat figures, with their source.

Open sky over the habitat: 23 to 40 mol/m²/day across the year (daily light integral, median year across the envelope cells, CHELSA; the lowest 10th-percentile month across the cells is 18, the highest 90th-percentile month 50).

CHELSA shortwave radiation at each envelope cell, a daily-mean flux taken to a daily total and converted at 2.07 mol of PAR per MJ. The sky over the habitat, measured; what reaches a plant under a rock, a shrub or a shade cloth is not.

Warmth and air Cold floor 2.4 °C (1st-percentile habitat night, NASA POWER).

This species’ habitat figures, with their source.

Temperature

Coldest: the 1st-percentile night over 44 years at the typical cell is 2.4 °C, the absolute minimum -8.2 °C, about 1 frost night a year (NASA POWER daily minima). Warmest: the 99th-percentile day is 40.6 °C. Monthly means: coldest night 12.3 °C in January (across the envelope cells 5.9 °C to 20.9 °C), warmest day 30.7 °C in June (median year across the envelope cells, CHELSA). Cold floor: 2.4 °C, which is the 1st-percentile night over 44 years at the typical cell (NASA POWER).

NASA POWER daily minima and maxima 1981–2024 at the typical cell, lapse-corrected to its elevation; CHELSA monthly means, median year across the envelope cells, CHELSA. The cold floor is the figure named in its sentence. Not a measured survival limit for any plant in a pot.

Humidity

Relative humidity at the habitat: 57 to 64% across the year (monthly means, median year across the envelope cells, CHELSA). A figure about the air, saying nothing about how the plant takes water.

CHELSA relative humidity, median year across the envelope cells.

The figures the cards read from are in Climate below, and where they came from in Natural habitat.

Climate across the habitat

Habitat climate through the yearMean day from 23 °C in Jan to 31 °C in Jun; mean night from 12 °C in Jan to 24 °C in Aug. The cold quarter, Dec to Feb, is the three months around the coldest night. 1073 mm of rain a year, most in Sep. The bands show the 10th to 90th percentile across 219 habitat cells. Over 44 years at the typical cell the absolute minimum was -8.2 °C and the 99th-percentile day 40.6 °C; neither is dated to a month. Beneath: daily light integral and relative humidity through the year, each on its own scale.-10°10°20°30°40°50°frost40.6° 99th-percentile day (undated)-8.2° lowest night in 44 yrs (undated)°C · day and nightcold quarter0100200300400mm rainDLI 23–40RH 57–64 %JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
day night rain 10th–90th percentile across 219 habitat cells cold quarter: the three months around the coldest night extremes over 44 years at the typical cell, marked at the edge: undated DLI, mol/m²/dayRH %each on its own scale
Figures by month
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Day °C23 / 17–2724 / 19–2927 / 22–3128 / 26–3330 / 27–3431 / 26–3530 / 25–3630 / 25–3529 / 24–3328 / 24–3025 / 21–2923 / 17–27
Night °C12 / 6–2114 / 8–2115 / 10–2217 / 13–2420 / 15–2523 / 16–2624 / 15–2624 / 15–2622 / 15–2619 / 14–2516 / 10–2313 / 7–22
Rain mm41 / 12–7433 / 9–6131 / 4–6840 / 4–7886 / 6–121154 / 25–264159 / 55–304159 / 50–266176 / 75–328104 / 42–23751 / 11–11639 / 6–78
DLI25 / 19–3230 / 23–3836 / 29–4440 / 35–4840 / 37–5040 / 36–4540 / 35–4339 / 34–4134 / 30–3630 / 26–3426 / 20–3323 / 18–31
RH %58 / 50–6658 / 48–6657 / 45–6457 / 44–6560 / 46–6661 / 56–6763 / 55–6763 / 55–6764 / 56–6962 / 56–6759 / 51–6658 / 50–66

Each figure is the median across the 219 grid cells holding the 314 in-range records, with the 10th–90th percentile span across those cells after the slash where it differs. Extremes and elevation were read at the typical cell 1275:1634 (26.225, -98.275). Over 44 years there: absolute minimum -8.2 °C, 1st-percentile night 2.4 °C, 99th-percentile day 40.6 °C. Normals: CHELSA V2.1 1981–2010 climatology, 0.05° cells (each the mean of ~36 1 km pixels). Envelope: median and 10th–90th percentile of each month across the 219 distinct grid cells holding the 314 in-range records; extremes and elevation at the typical cell 1275:1634 (its coldest month's mean night nearest the median across cells); its position is the cell centre. Extremes: NASA POWER (MERRA-2) daily 1981–2024, cell 26.00_-98.125, lapse-corrected -2 m at 6.5 °C/km. Elevation: ETOPO 2022, 39 m (cell mean).

Natural habitat

Native range as published by WCVP; the marker is where the records are densest and decides nothing: the climate was read across every in-range record's cell, not at the marker.
Openly licensed records inside the range, framed on where they fall.
NativeMexico Central, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southwest, Mexico Southeast· introduced: Guinea, Cameroon, Gulf of Guinea Is., Comoros, Réunion, Assam, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Vietnam, Fiji, Gilbert Is., Niue, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Cook Is., Line Is., Society Is., Tuamotu, Tubuai Is., Caroline Is., Marianas, Marshall Is., Florida, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Bahamas, Bermuda, Cayman Is., Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Leeward Is. AB Ant, Puerto Rico, Trinidad-Tobago, Venezuelan Antilles, Windward Is., Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru
Kew's description“perennial” · “seasonally dry tropical”· quoted from WCVP, RBG Kew (CC BY 4.0); not derived here
Map marker29.61, -98.242 · in the densest population, 184 records (57% of those in range)
Evidence usedThe map marker and the climate envelope rest on all 321 georeferenced records inside the native range; the map shows only the 105 openly licensed ones, which alone would put the marker 1111 km away. 1357 records outside the range (gardens, roadsides, misidentifications) ignored. 7 in-range records are placed to worse than 10 km and stay on the map but off the climate.
The map markerthe map marker: the openly licensed record nearest the middle of the densest 1° population inside the densest 4° block of the 321 in-range records; it decides nothing.

Photographs

Russelia equisetiformisRusselia equisetiformisRusselia equisetiformisRusselia equisetiformisRusselia equisetiformisRusselia equisetiformisRusselia equisetiformisRusselia equisetiformis

Photographs: (c) zebedeugalinha, some rights reserved (CC BY) (8).

Photographs: iNaturalist did not answer when this page was built; what is shown came from the sources that did.

Papers naming this species

Works whose title or abstract names Russelia equisetiformis, most cited first, from OpenAlex (CC0). A mention, not a cultivation source: nothing on this page is drawn from them.

Central nervous system depressant activity of Russelia equisetiformis
Oyetunji T. Kolawole, J. M. Makinde, Olumayokun A. Olajide (2010) · Nigerian Journal of Physiological Sciences
Antinociceptive effect of Russelia equisetiformis leave extracts: Identification of its active constituents
Emmanuel O. Awe, Adewale O. Adeloye, Thomas Oyebode Idowu, Olumayokun A. Olajide (2007) · Phytomedicine
Comparative Assessment Of Total Phenolic Content In Selected Medicinal Plants
C. E. Johnson, F O Oladeinde, Antony Kinyua, Ruel Michelin (2009) · Nigerian Journal of Natural Products and Medicine
Identification of the Phenolic Components of Vernonia amygdalina and Russelia equisetiformis
Long-Ze Lin, James M. Harnly, Frederick Oladeinde, Ruel Michelin (2011)
Antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxicity studies of Russelia equisetiformis
Muhammad Riaz (2012) · African Journal of Microbiology Research
A new iridoid glycoside and NO production inhibitory activity of compounds isolated from Russelia equisetiformis
Madoka Ochi, Katsuyoshi Matsunami, Hideaki Otsuka, Yoshio Takeda (2011) · Journal of Natural Medicines
Membrane stabilizing activity of Russelia equisetiformis, Schlecht & Chan.
Emmanuel O. Awe, J. M. Makinde, O. A. Adeloye, S. O. Banjoko (2009)
In vivo antimalarial activities of russelia equisetiformis in plasmodium berghei infected mice
Olusola Ojurongbe, J. D. Ojo, DI Adefokun, Oyindamola O. Abiodun (2015) · Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Central nervous system depressant activity of Russelia equisetiformis
Oluwaseyi Kolawole, J.M Makinde, O.A Olajide (2010) · Nigerian Journal of Physiological Sciences
Evaluation of the anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of the extract of Russelia equisetiformis (Schlecht & Cham) Scrophulariacae
Emmanuel O. Awe, J. M. Makinde, Olumayokun A. Olajide, Olayemi K. Wakeel (2004) · Inflammopharmacology

Similar habitat climate the 6 species whose habitat climate is nearest this one's: mean day and night, month by month, and rain on a log scale, in calendar order, so a habitat with the same seasons six months out is far, not near. Nothing else counts: not range, not family.

History & registers

Where this page came from built 2026-09-20 · dossier v2 · node
gbif.species answeredcarried from build of 2026-09-19 (offline re-derivation; the backbone was not asked)
gbif.synonyms answeredcarried from build of 2026-09-19 (offline re-derivation; the backbone was not asked)
gbif.vernacular answeredcarried from build of 2026-09-19 (offline re-derivation; the backbone was not asked)
wcvp.distribution answered
gbif.occurrences answeredGBIF occurrence download https://doi.org/10.15468/dl.3h4zam
climate answered
wikidata answeredcarried from build of 2026-09-19 (rederive); that build: carried from build of 2026-09-19 (rederive)
wikipedia answeredcarried from build of 2026-09-19; this build: skipped
inat.taxon not asked
inat.photos.wild answeredcarried from build of 2026-09-19; this build: skipped
inat.photos.cultivated nothing to reportcarried from build of 2026-09-19 (rederive); that build: carried from build of 2026-09-19 (rederive)
commons nothing to reportcarried from build of 2026-09-19 (rederive); that build: carried from build of 2026-09-19 (rederive)
gbif.media answered
openalex answeredcarried from build of 2026-09-19; this build: skipped

Every upstream is recorded as having answered, reported nothing, or refused. Only “nothing to report” is ever shown as an absence. Records came from 108 datasets via GBIF.org; each carries its own licence.