Comocladia dodonaea (L.) Urb.

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Anacardiaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Comocladia dodonaea (L.) Urb.

  • Description

    Species Description - Shrub to 5 m tall, with clear resinous sap; stems cylindrical and puberulent. Leaves clustered at branch tips, pinnately compound, with 9-21 leaflets; leaflets 1.5-3.5 x 1.3-2.7 cm, ovate or suborbicular, involute, usually wrinkled and reddish, chartaceous to coriaceous, glabrous except for a few hairs on veins and rachis, with prominent veins on lower surface, the apex acute or obtuse with long sharp spine, the base cuneate on terminal leaflet, nearly cordate on lateral ones, the margins spinulose, terminal leaflet with 2 spines on each side, lateral ones with 1; rachis nearly cylindrical, puberulent, the petiole 1-3 cm long. Inflorescence spikelike, much shorter than the subtending leaf; flowers aggregate in cymes along inflorescence rachis. Calyx ca. 0.5 mm long; petals 1 mm long, erect, triangular, with revolute margins; stamens <1 mm long, the anthers ellipsoid; nectary disk cup-shaped; ovary reduced in staminate flowers. Drupe ellipsoid, 1 cm long, redorange and fleshy.

  • Discussion

    Comocladia ilicifolia Sw., Prodr. 17. 1788, nom. illegit.

    A poisonous shrub causing severe dermatitis on contact or inhalation of fumes from burning stems and leaves, similar to that produced by poison ivy.

  • Distribution

    Very common in dry coastal scrubs. Lameshur (A745). Widespread on Jost van Dyke, St. Croix, St. Thomas, Tortola, and Virgin Gorda; Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and in the Lesser Antilles.

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