Ximenia americana L.

  • Authority

    Britton, Nathaniel L. & Millspaugh, Charles F. 1920. The Bahama Flora.

  • Family

    Olacaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Ximenia americana L.

  • Description

    Species Description - A thorny shrub or small tree, rarely 6 m. high, with reddish smooth astringent bark, the slender branches spreading. Leaves oblong to orbicular, subcoriaceous, 3-7 cm. long, obtuse or emarginate at the apex, narrowed or rounded at the base, sparingly pubescent when young, mostly glabrous when old, the slender petioles 5-10 mm. long; clusters 2-4-flowered, much shorter than the leaves; calyx about 1 mm. long; corolla-lobes linear, reflexed, 1 cm. long; drupe yellow or red, 12-17 mm. in diameter.

  • Discussion

    Coastal white-lands and coppices, New Providence, Conception Island. Long Island, Fortune Island. Crooked Island, Caicos and Cay Sal : Florida : Cuba to Porto Rico and Martinique ; Jamaica : Mexico and South America ; Old World tropics. When growing on sand dunes this shrub is much depressed and has nearly orbicular, fleshy leaves ; when growing in coppices or scrub-lands it is tall, with elongated oblong to oblanceolate leaves. Tallow Wood. Spanish Plum.

  • Distribution

    New Providence, Conception Island. Long Island, Fortune Island. Crooked Island, Caicos and Cay Sal : Florida : Cuba to Puerto Rico and Martinique ; Jamaica : Mexico and South America ; Old World tropics.

    New Providence Bahamas South America| Long Island Bahamas South America| Crooked Island Bahamas South America| Turks and Caicos Islands South America| Florida United States of America North America| Cuba South America| Puerto Rico South America| Martinique South America| Jamaica South America| México Mexico North America| South America|