Terminalia molinetii M.Gómez

  • Authority

    Stace, C. A. & Alwan, A.-R A. 2010. Combretaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 107: 1-369. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Combretaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Terminalia molinetii M.Gómez

  • Type

    Type. Cuba. Matanzas: Circa Canasí, but Richard did not intend a new species, citing "Bucida angustifolia DC." Grisebach quoted "Bucida angustifolia Rich, (non DC.)," and cited Wright 2753, collected 1860-1864 (G, K, S).

  • Synonyms

    Bucida angustifolia DC., Bucida molinetii (M.Gómez) Alwan & Stace, Terminalia spinosa Northr., Bucida spinosa Jenn., Bucida correlliana Wilbur

  • Description

    Species Description - Semi- or briefly deciduous shrub or tree 1.5-8 m, with spines on branches. Leaves coriaceous, 0.5-2.5(-3.5) × 0.3-1 (-1.7) cm, obovate to oblanceolate, obtuse or rounded to retuse at apex, cuneate to narrowly cuneate at base, usually revolute at margin, glabrous or sparsely pubescent only on midvein abaxially; domatia absent. Venation brochidodromous; midvein moderate, prominent; secondary veins (3-)4-8 pairs, moderately spaced, originating at narrowly acute angles, slightly curved, scarcely or not prominent; intersecondary veins numerous, strong; tertiary veins randomly reticulate; higher order veins usually not distinct; areolation incomplete, not prominent. Petiole 0-0.2 cm, glabrous to sparsely pubescent, often biglandular. Inflorescences 0.6-6 cm, simple, usually capitate or subcapitate with ca. 3-13 flowers all bisexual; peduncle 0.5-4 cm, glabrous to sparsely pubescent; rhachis 0.1-2 cm, almost always glabrous; bracts less than 1 mm, ovate-triangular, puberulous abaxially. Flowers pentamerous, 3-5 × 2.5-4 mm; lower hypanthium 1.5-3 mm, glabrous to sparsely pubescent; upper hypanthium 1-2 mm, widely cupuliform, glabrous to very sparsely pubescent; calyx lobes 0.2-0.5 mm, suberect, glabrous; disk pilose; stamens 3-4 mm; style 2-3 mm, pilose proximally. Fruits few clustered at end of rhachis, 0.25-0.6 × 0.17-0.35 cm (excl, upper hypanthium), terete, ovate or narrowly ovate (often asymmetrically curved) in side view, woody and achene-like, abruptly or gradually narrowed to beak 0-1-0.2 cm at apex, rounded at base, glabrous to sparsely pubescent, the upper hypanthium not or only slightly persistent on the beak. Reproductive biology. Flowers yellow, yellow-green or greenish, odourless (in Hawaii), clearly protogynous. Flowering April to July; fruiting June to August.

  • Discussion

    Uses. Grown as an ornamental in Hawaii.

    Illustrations. Figs. 92p (fr), 101k (If). Correll & Correll (1982), p. 1029 (as Bucida spinosa). Terminalia molinetii is a small spiny shrub or tree with very small leaves and few flowers in a subcapitate subglabrous inflorescence, but some specimens of T. buceras from Cuba and from coastal sands of other parts of the West Indies closely approach it, differing starkly from the normal tall forest tree. Bucida ophiticola is representative of these difficult intermediates, but its type is closer to T. buceras, within which it is here placed (B. ophiticola has inflorescences 5-8 cm long). Even closer to T. buceras is B. subinermis, which has a clearly racemose inflorescence and a pubescent upper hypanthium). Pending detailed field and experimental studies the limits between T. buceras and T. molinetii must remain subjective and somewhat artificial, but amalgamation of the two taxa at this stage would conceal rather than clarify the situation. See under T. buceras for further discussion.

    We have not traced the type of Bucida umbellata Sessé & M09., from Mexico, but from the description “Pedunculi terminales umbellati” and “Frutex sarmentosus subquinquepedalis” it might represent T. molinetii, and its epithet would predate it.

  • Common Names

    Spiny black olive, briar tree, prickly-tree, parks doush-boy

  • Distribution

    Coastal areas in dunes, thickets (often mangroves), scrub, savannas; near sea level. Extreme south-eastern Mexico, Belize, Cuba east to Virgin Islands (St. Croix), and to 26°40' N in Bahamas.

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