Trema micrantha |
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Florida trema, guacimilla, Jamaican nettletree |
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Habit | Shrubs to small trees, 2-5.5(-10) m. Bark dark brown, smooth when young, developing small, warty projections in maturity. |
Branchlets | copiously pubescent. |
Leaf | blade ovate to narrowly ovate, 5-6.5(-9) × 2.5-4(-4.5) cm, base oblique to cordate, margins evenly serrate, apex acute to long-acuminate; abaxial surface softly, velvety white-pubescent; venation conspicuous but scarcely raised. |
Flowers | calyx greenish white. |
Fruits | bright red-orange to yellow, 1.5-3.5 mm diam. 2n = 20 (from Costa Rica). |
Trema micrantha |
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Phenology | Flowering most of year (Mar–Nov). |
Habitat | Hammocks and prairies, often weedy along roadsides, in burned areas, and on calcareous ground |
Elevation | 0-100 m (0-300 ft) |
Distribution |
FL; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies
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Discussion | Trema micrantha, as interpreted here, is widespread in tropical regions of the New World. Small-leaved populations may be confused with T. lamarckiana. The soft wood of Trema micrantha is suitable for the construction of tea chests and match sticks. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 3. |
Parent taxa | Ulmaceae > Trema |
Sibling taxa | |
Synonyms | Rhamnus micranthus, Celtis micranthus, Sponia micrantha, T. floridana, T. melinona, T. micrantha var. floridana |
Name authority | (Linnaeus) Blume: Mus. Bot. 2: 58. (1856) |
Web links |