Overview
The leaves were once used as a diuretic in Grenada, but it is said in Dominica to be poisonous (Politi, 1996). Famous hard wood . Very long lasting hut construction.
Common Names
Click on the language to view common names.
Common Names in English:
Alexandrian Laurel, Antilles Calophyllum, Beauty Leaf, Calaba, Calaba Tree, Galba, Mast Wood, Santa Maria, Santa Maria-Tree, West Indian-Laurel
Common Names in French:
Bois De Charromage
Description
Family Clusiaceae
Trees
, shrubs
, or sometimes herbs containing resin or oil
in schizogenous
spaces or canals and sometimes black or red glands
containing hypericin or pseudohypericin. Leaves simple
, entire or rarely gland-fringed, opposite or sometimes whorled
, nearly always estipulate. Flowers bisexual
or unisexual
, regular, hypogynous, solitary or in cymes or thyrses
; bracteoles often inserted
just beneath
calyx and then not always easily distinguishable from sepals. Sepals (2-) 4 or 5(or 6), imbricate or decussate or rarely wholly united
in bud, inner ones sometimes petaloid
. Petals [3 or]4 or 5[or 6], free
, imbricate or contorted in bud. Stamens many to rarely few (9), in [3 or]4 or 5 bundles (fascicles) that are free and antipetalous
or variously connate
, with filaments
variously united or apparently free and then sometimes sterile
(staminodes) ; anther
dehiscence longitudinal
. Staminode bundles (fasciclodes) 3-5, free and antisepalous
or variously connate or absent. Ovary superior, with 2-5(-12) connate carpels, 1-12-loculed, with axile
to parietal
or basal placentation
; ovules 1 to many on each placenta, erect
to pendulous; styles 1-5[-12], free or ± united or absent; stigmas 1-12, punctiform
to peltate or, when sessile, radiate
, surface papillate
or smooth
. Fruit a septicidal
or septifragal, rarely loculicidal, capsule, berry, or drupe; seeds 1 to many, without or almost without endosperm [sometimes arillate
].
About 40 genera and 1200 species: mainly in tropical regions
, except Hypericum and Triadenum, which are both mainly temperate
in distribution; eight genera (one endemic) and 95 species (48 endemic, one introduced
) in China.
The Clusiaceae are a rather economically important family
. Many species, such as Mesua ferrea and Garcinia paucinervis, have hard wood
. Numerous
species in Calophyllum, Clusia Linnaeus, and Garcinia produce
valuable commercial
resin or gum. Gamboge is produced
from Garcinia morella Desrousseaux and other species. Garcinia mangostana and Mammea americana Linnaeus produce well-known edible fruits. Other species, such as Calophyllum inophyllum and Garcinia indica Choisy, have oily seeds. Hypericum is important in horticulture
and medicine.
[1]
Genus Calophyllum
Trees
or shrubs
, with clear [or milky
or yellow] latex. Apical buds rarely abortive
; buds lacking (or with) scales
. Leaves opposite, petiolate
[or rarely sessile], leathery, usually glabrous
; secondary veins many, almost perpendicular to midvein
, ± prominent
above; tertiary venation
absent; translucent
glandular
canals present between veins. Inflorescence cymose
or thyrsiform, terminal
or axillary
. Flowers bisexual
[or rarely unisexual
]. Sepals and petals together 4-12 (usually 4 + 4 in Chinese species), 2- or 3-whorled, not always differentiated, outer (sepals) decussate, inner (petals) imbricate. Stamens many, not obviously fascicled; filaments
scarcely united
or all free
, slender; anthers
erect
, basifixed
; fasciclodes absent. Ovary 1-loculed, glabrous [tomentose
], with a single erect ovule; style elongate
, slender; stigma often peltate. Drupelike berry with thin exocarp
("skin"), thin fleshy
mesocarp
and thin endocarp sometimes adherent
to seed. Seed 1, large, with thin [or thick] testa ("stone") ; embryo with broad fleshy cotyledons.
About 187 species: tropical regions
, mainly in Asia, but also in E Africa, tropical
America, Madagascar, the Mascarenes, and Australasia; four species in China.[2]
Physical Description
Habit: Tree , Shrub
Flowers: Flower Color: near white, white
Size/Age/Growth
Size: 6-8' tall.
Biology
Reproduction
Duration: Perennial
Growth
Soil: Minimum pH: 5.6 • Maximum pH: 8.5
Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Full Sun .
Temperature: Cold Hardiness: 9b, 10a, 10b, 11. (map)
Taxonomy
- Domain:
Eukaryota
(
)
- Whittaker & Margulis,1978
- eukaryotes
- Kingdom:
Plantae
(
)
- Haeckel, 1866
- Plants
- Subkingdom:
Viridaeplantae
(
)
- Cavalier-Smith, 1981
- Phylum:
Tracheophyta
(
)
- Sinnott, 1935 Ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998
- Vascular Plants
- Subphylum:
Euphyllophytina
(
)
- Infraphylum:
Radiatopses
(
)
- Kenrick & Crane, 1997
- Class:
Magnoliopsida
(
)
- Brongniart, 1843
- Dicotyledons
- Subclass:
Dilleniidae
(
)
- Takhtajan, 1967
- Superorder:
Theanae
(
)
- Thorne Ex Reveal, 1993
- Order:
Hypericales
(
)
- Dumortier, 1829
- Family:
Clusiaceae
(
)
- Lindley, 1836
- Mangosteen Family
- Subfamily:
Calophylloideae
(
)
- Genus:
Calophyllum
(
)
- Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 513. 1753.
- Camas
- Specific epithet:
antillanum
- Britton
- Botanical name: - Calophyllum antillanum
- Specific epithet:
antillanum
- Britton
- Genus:
Calophyllum
(
- Subfamily:
Calophylloideae
(
- Family:
Clusiaceae
(
- Order:
Hypericales
(
- Superorder:
Theanae
(
- Subclass:
Dilleniidae
(
- Class:
Magnoliopsida
(
- Infraphylum:
Radiatopses
(
- Subphylum:
Euphyllophytina
(
- Phylum:
Tracheophyta
(
- Subkingdom:
Viridaeplantae
(
- Kingdom:
Plantae
(
Unambiguous Synonyms
- Calophyllum brasiliense auct. non Camb.
- Calophyllum brasiliense var. antillanum (Britt.) Standl.
- Calophyllum calaba Jacq. , Non L.
Notes
Publishing author
: Standl. Publication
: Trop. Woods
30: 7 1932 Publishing author: L. Publication: Sp.
Pl. 514.An accepted name
in the RHS Horticultural Database.
Name
Status: Accepted Name. Latest taxonomic
scrutiny: 15-Mar-2000
Place of publication: N. L. Britton & P. Wilson, Bot. Porto Rico 5:584. 1924 (Sci. Surv. Porto Rico & Virgin Isl.)
Name verified on 08-Aug-1996 by ARS Systematic Botanists. Last updated: 02-Feb-2006
Similar Species
Members of the genus Calophyllum
ZipcodeZoo has pages for 267 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:
C. acidus · C. acuminatum · C. acutiputamen · C. aerarium · C. akara · C. alboramulum · C. amalloides · C. amblyphyllum · C. amoenum · C. amplexicaule · C. andersonii · C. angulare · C. angustifolium · C. angustum · C. antillanum (Antilles Calophyllum) · C. apetalum · C. archipelagi · C. ardens · C. arestanosans · C. articulatum · C. augia · C. aurantiacum · C. auriculatum · C. australianum · C. austrocoriaceum · C. austroindicum · C. balansae · C. bancanum · C. banyengii · C. benjamina · C. bicolor · C. biflorum · C. bifurcatum · C. bingator · C. blancoi · C. blumei · C. bonii · C. borneense · C. brachyphyllum · C. bracteatum · C. brasiliense · C. brasiliense var. rekoi · C. brasiliensis · C. brasilinse · C. brassii · C. burmanni · C. bursiculum · C. calaba · C. calabra · C. calcicola · C. caledonicum · C. canum · C. carrii · C. carrii var. carrii · C. carrii var. longigemmatum · C. castaneum · C. caudatum · C. celebicum · C. cerasiferum · C. ceriferum · C. changii · C. chapelieri · C. chiapense · C. chinense · C. cholobtaches (Calophyllum) · C. clemensorum · C. collinum · C. comorense · C. complanatum · C. confertum · C. confusum · C. congestiflorum · C. cordato-oblongum · C. coriaceum · C. costatum · C. costulatum · C. cucullatum · C. cumingii · C. cuneatum · C. cuneifolium · C. cupi · C. curtisii · C. cussi · C. cymosum · C. decipiens · C. depressinervosum · C. dioscurii · C. dispar · C. dongnaiense · C. drouhardi · C. drouhardii · C. dryobalanoides · C. dubium · C. dunkani · C. echinatum · C. edule · C. elatum · C. elegans · C. ellipticum · C. enervosum
More Info
- Search for Pictures: images.google.com
- Search for Scholarly Articles: Google Scholar
- Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names: All the Web | AltaVista Canada | AltaVista | Excite | Google | HotBot | Lycos
- Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books
Further Reading
- Archaeological investigations in the southern Cayo district, British Honduras / by J. Eric Thompson, Assistant Curator of Central and South American Archaeology. First and second Marshall Field archaeological expeditions to British Honduras. 28 plates in Chicago, 1931. ENG url p. 227.
- Encke, F. et al. 1984. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 13. Auflage. (Zander ed13)
- Howard, R. 1974–1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles. (F LAnt) [= C. calaba L.].
- Howard, R. A. 1962. J. Arnold Arbor. 43:397–398. [= C. calaba L.].
- Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. (Hortus 3)
- Liogier, H. A. & L. F. Martorell. 1982. Flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands: a systematic synopsis. (F PR) [= C. calaba L.].
- Nicolson, D. H. et al. 1991. Flora of Dominica, Part 2: Dicotyledonae. Smithsonian contributions to botany vol. 77. (F Dominica) 66.
- St. John, H. 1973. List and summary of the flowering plants in the Hawaiian islands. (L Hawaii) [accepts].
- Steyermark, J. A. et al., eds. 1995–. Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana. (F VenGuay) [= C. brasiliense Cambess.].
- Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds. (Invasive Pl Spec)
- Li Xiwen & Li Yan-hui. 1990. Guttiferae. In: Li Hsiwen [Xiwen], ed., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 50(2): 1-112.
Notes
Contributors
- Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
- Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2007. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Accessed March 24, 2007.
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed June 18, 2007. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from provider.
- The International Plant Names Index. Accessed Jan 19, 2007.
- The Virtual Field Herbarium.
- USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL (April 26, 2008)
Data Sources
Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 12, 2007:
- Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden Virtual Herbarium Darwin Core format
- Missouri Botanical Garden, Missouri Botanical Garden
- USDA PLANTS, USDA PLANTS Database
Identifiers
- Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2665908
- Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: ITS-501152
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13758377
- Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:427095-1
- GRIN Nomen Number: 8626
- Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 501152
- International Plant Names Index (IPNI) ID: 42745-2
- Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: PDCLU01060
- U.S.D.A. Plant Symbol: CABR27
- Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 26277
Footnotes
- Xi-wen Li, Jie Li, Norman K. B. Robson & Peter Stevens "Clusiaceae". in Flora of China Vol. 13 Page 1. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
- Xi-wen Li, Jie Li & Peter Stevens "Calophyllum". in Flora of China Vol. 13 Page 1, 38. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
