Flora of North America species comparison

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Hippomane

Hippomane mancinella

hippomane, manchineel

manchineel
Habit Trees, monoecious; hairs absent; latex white. Trees, to 7 m with much-branched spreading crown; bark light gray or light brown, ± smooth, slightly warty and fissured; latex copious, caustic.
Leaves

persistent, alternate, simple;

stipules present, caducous;

petiole present, glands at apex;

blade unlobed, margins remotely serrate or crenate, laminar glands absent;

venation pinnate.

stipules caducous, ± narrowly deltate, 1 mm, margins entire;

petiole slender, 1–6 cm, varying in length on single branchlets, with 1 disc-shaped sessile gland abaxially at apex;

blade broadly ovate-elliptic, 2–9 × 1–7 cm, chartaceous, shiny adaxially, base rounded or slightly cordate, margins remotely crenate, apex obtuse or short-acuminate;

midvein prominent, secondary veins less prominent.
Inflorescences

bisexual (pistillate flowers proximal, staminate distal), terminal, spikelike thyrses;

glands subtending each bract 2.

6–8 cm;

staminate cymules subsessile, clearly separated, 10–30-flowered;

pistillate flowers 2–3;

bracts flabelliform, 1–2 mm.
Pedicels

staminate present, pistillate rudimentary.

Staminate flowers

sepals 2, imbricate, connate proximally;

petals 0;

nectary absent;

stamens 2, connate basally;

pistillode absent.

calyx 1 mm, lobes broad, shallow.
Pistillate flowers

sepals 3[–4], connate proximally;

petals 0;

nectary absent;

pistil 6–9-carpellate;

styles 6–9, connate basally, unbranched.

styles thick, to 10 mm, strongly recurved.
Fruits

drupes.

Drupes

depressed-globose, 1.5–2.5 cm diam.
Seeds

elliptic-compressed;

caruncle absent.

smooth.
Staminate

pedicels 1 mm.
x

= 11.

Hippomane

Hippomane mancinella
Phenology Flowering Jan–May; fruiting (Mar–)May–Sep.
Habitat Hammocks and low ground behind mangrove zone along coast.
Elevation 0–10 m. (0–0 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
FL; Mexico; Central America; West Indies; n South America; Pacific Islands (Galápagos Islands)
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
FL; Mexico; Central America; West Indies; n South America; Pacific Islands (Galápagos Islands)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Species 2 or 3 (1 in the flora).

Hippomane horrida Urban & Ekman and H. spinosa Linnaeus are endemic to Hispaniola.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

In the flora area, Hippomane mancinella is found only in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. The caustic latex can cause severe skin irritation on contact and, if taken internally, can cause severe poisoning, although individual reactions can vary dramatically (R. A. Howard 1981). The applelike appearance of the fruit no doubt has been the cause of more frequent poisonings than might otherwise be the case (G. L. Webster 1967). Smoke from burning wood can be harmful to the eyes (R. W. Long and O. Lakela 1971; W. C. Burger and M. J. Huft 1995).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 232. Author: Michael J. Huft. FNA vol. 12, p. 232.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae Euphorbiaceae > Hippomane
Subordinate taxa
H. mancinella
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 1191. (1753): Gen. Pl. ed. 5, 499. (1754) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 1191. (1753)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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