American Beauty Berry (   Callicarpa americana   )

The American Beauty Berry is a shrub whose range covers the Southeastern United States. The name for this plant comes from the beautiful purple berries that grow in clusters up and down the stems. It is believed that the berries evolved to be brightly colored so that they would catch the eyes of birds, who would disperse the Beauty Berry seeds after eating the fruits. 

The Alabama people used Beauty Berry as a sweat bath to fight edema and malaria. The Choctaw used the plant to treat colicky infants. In more modern times, lab studies have shown that decoctions from the root of the plant have antiviral activity against measles and polio, as well as other parts of the plant being used in a remedy for skin cancer. Beauty Berry is also a common component in medicinal teas in North America. (Austin)

Austin, Daniel F.  Florida Ethnobotany.  Boca Raton, CRC Press, 2004.