Five-Finger

Title

Five-Finger

Authors

Ethan H. Freid

Scientific Name

Tabebuia bahamensis (Northr.) Britton

Description

Habit
Shrub to medium size tree to 10 meters. Large trees develop furrowing in the bark.   Leaves arranged oppositely and are palmately compound (i.e., shaped like an open human hand) with 3 or 5 leaflets.  Leaflet margin is entire. 
Flowers zygomorphic (i.e., can be divided by only a single plane into two mirror-image halves, much like a person's face) with 2 lips, calyx campanulate (i.e., bell-shaped) covered with brown hairs.  Corolla white to pink to dark pink, large to 6 centimeters.  There are 4 stamens and the fruit is a capsule to 12 cm long and the seeds are winged.  The flowers are arranged in panicles

Habitat
Tabebuia bahamensis occurs in Dry Broadleaf Evergreen Formations (Coppice) on both a limestone or sand substrate with good drainage. It is a common species throughout the islands.  It also occurs in the pine woodlands as an understory shrub.
 
Distribution in Bahamas/Globally
Tabebuia bahamensis occurs throughout the Bahamas as well as in Cuba and south Florida.

Cultural usage
Tabebuia bahamensis has been used on all Bahamian islands for a number of bush medicine remedies including strengthening (aches and pains) and aphrodisiac teas, gastrointestinal issues, circulatory problems and respiratory troubles.  It is also used in the horticultural trade.