Rhytidophyllum tomentosum
Rhytidophyllum tomentosum is a perennial flowering shrub in the Gesneriaceae family. It belongs to the Rhytidophyllum genus and is native to Jamaica, where it is called "search my heart" or "heart bush." It grows on shaded, damp, rocky hillsides.
The plant has long, slender, hairy leaves that are lime-green to dark green, about 6–8 inches long, with pointed ends and jagged edges. It produces light yellow tubular flowers with dark red spots in the center.
Rhytidophyllum tomentosum has been introduced to the Cayman Islands, Cuba, and Trinidad and Tobago. In Jamaica, the leaves (fresh or dried) are used to make herbal tea for heart palpitations, coughs, chest congestion, sinus infections, and menstrual cramps—though these uses come from traditional folk practice. The leaves and stems are also used in Jamaican root tonics with other ingredients.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 22:13 (CET).