Gymnanthes lucida Sw.

  • Authority

    Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro & collaborators. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78: 1-581.

  • Family

    Euphorbiaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Gymnanthes lucida Sw.

  • Description

    Species Description - Shrub or small tree to 7 m tall, glabrous, producing a clear latex when cut; bark dark gray, smooth, forming rectangular plates. Leaf blades 5-11 x 3-5 cm, oblanceolate to elliptic, coriaceous, glabrous, with prominent reticulate venation when dried, the apex obtuse to acute, slightly notched, the base tapering, with 1 or a few dotlike glands underneath, the margins minutely toothed, crenate, or entire; petioles 3-10 mm long; stipules ovate-lanceolate, minute, early deciduous. Racemes axillary, bisexual, coneshaped when immature. Staminate flowers distal on racemes; stamens 2 or 3. Pistillate flower on long curved pedicels at base of raceme; ovary nearly globose, glabrous, the styles united at base, recurved. Capsule glabrous, depressed-globose, ca. 1 cm diam., with 6 longitudinal furrows. Seeds nearly globose, 5 mm long, light brown.

  • Discussion

    Common names: crab wood, goat wood.

  • Distribution

    A common tree of coastal dry forests and scrubs. Cob Gut (A3219), Gift Hill (A817), Maria Bluff (A2328). Also on St. Croix, St. Thomas, Tortola, and Virgin Gorda; Florida and throughout the West Indies.

    West Indies| Florida United States of America North America| Virgin Gorda Virgin Islands South America| Tortola Virgin Islands South America| Saint Thomas Virgin Islands of the United States South America| Saint Croix Virgin Islands of the United States South America|