Suriana maritima L.

  • Authority

    Britton, Nathaniel L. Flora Borinqueña.

  • Family

    Simaroubaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Suriana maritima L.

  • Description

    Species Description - Monotypic genera, those that consist of one species only, are regarded as very ancient in origin; palaeontology tells us that in several such genera, more than one species existed in former geologic time, related to the one now living, but extinct; presumably the existing one has been best adapted to present conditions and has thus survived. Monotypes, as a rule, exhibit the least variability in form or structure, and are the most distinct of all genera; Suriana is further set apart from relatives than most monotypes, because it is the only genus in the family Surianaceae. The genus was taken up by Linnaeus from the earlier French author Plumier; it commemorates Joseph Donat Surian, of Marseilles. Suriana maritima (maritime) is a coastal shrub or small tree, seldom over 2 meters high, known also as Tassel-plant in English, and as Gitaran in Spanish. Its twigs are hairy, and very densely clothed with alternate, narrow, somewhat spatulate, fleshy, densely hairy, blunt leaves from 1 to 4 centimeters long, and from 2 to 6 millimeters wide. It is frequent on maritime sands and rocks in Porto Rico, on the small islands Mona, Cayo Icacos, Vieques and Culebra, throughout the West Indies, extending north to Bermuda and to Florida, on the shores of tropical continental America and those of the Old World tropics. Its flowers are few, in short clusters at the ends of the twigs, or sometimes solitary; the 5 sepals are persistent, pointed, from 6 to 10 millimeters long; there are 5, rather broad, yellow petals about as long as the sepals; there are 10, nearly separate stamens, the 5 opposite the petals shorter than the other 5; there are 5 separate pistils, with slender, lateral styles and round stigmas, each ovary containing 2 ovules, and ripening into hairy, dry, hard fruits, 4 or 5 millimeters long.

  • Discussion

    Temporana Bay Cedar Bay Cedar Family Suriana maritima Linnaeus, Species Plantarum 284. 1753.