Colubrina elliptica (Sw.) Brizicky & W.L.Stern
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Authority
Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro & collaborators. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78: 1-581.
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Family
Rhamnaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - or small tree 3-5 m tall, many-branched from base or less often with a single unbranched trunk; bark light brown, smooth; twigs ferruginous-pubescent to sparsely tomentose when young. Leaf blades (2.5-)3.5-7.5(-l 1.5) x (1.2-)2-3.5(-5)cm, elliptic, oblong-ovate, chartaceous, glabrous to densely ferruginous- tomentose beneath, the apex obtuse or shortly to long-acuminate, the base obtuse to rounded, the margins entire, with 2-4 minute glands near the base; petioles 1-1.5 cm long, glabrous or puberulent. Flowers clustered in short axillary tomentulose cymes. Calyx densely ferruginous-tomentose without, the sepals ca. 1.2- 1.5 mm , triangular, glabrous and greenish within, deciduous in fruit; petals yellowish, ca. 1 mm long, elliptic; stamens slightly longer than the petals; disk fleshy, lobed to crenate. Capsule ca. 5 mm diam., globose-trigonous, with a persistent cuplike hypanthium at base, turning from green to red at maturity. Seeds 3-4 mm long, smooth, reddish brown, flattened-convex.
Distribution and Ecology - A common shrub of moist to dry forest or coastal scrub. Road to Bordeaux (A3863), Lameshur (B518). Also on Anegada, Jost van Dyke, St. Croix, St. Thomas, Tortola, and Virgin Gorda; throughout the West Indies, southern Florida, and central Mexico to Venezuela
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Discussion
Common names: maubi, snake root.
Ceanothus reclinatus L'Her., Sert. Angl. 6. 1789. Colubrina reclinata (L'Her.) Brongn., M e m . Fam. R h a m . 62. 1826; A n n . Sci. Nat. (Paris) 10: 369. 1827.