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Citharexylum spinosum Kunth

Spiny fiddlewood (en)

Species

Angiosperms > Lamiales > Verbenaceae > Citharexylum

Characteristics

An evergreen tree. It grows 15 m high and spreads 5 m wide. The trunk is erect and sturdy. The leaves are narrowly oval and opposite. They are 20 cm long. There are coarse teeth around the edge. The flowers are small and white. They have a scent. They are in groups 30 cm long. The fruit are about 1 cm across.
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It is a shrub or small tree to 15 m... Leaves ovate-lanceolate, elliptic or elliptic-oblong, 3.5–29 × 1–11.5 cm.. Very fragrant white, cream or reddish flowers in simple or compound axillary and terminal racemes 2.5–35 cm. long; corolla ± 5 mm. long.. Fruits blackish, fleshy, oblong, ± 8 mm. long.
Pending.
Life form perennial
Growth form tree
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination entomogamy
Spread -
Mature width (meter) 5.0
Mature height (meter) 15.0
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

The occasional shrub or small tree of Citharexylum spinosum has been recorded as a garden escape on the margin of littoral rainforest, as an adventive next to an old vehicle track in open eucalypt forest with grassy understorey, in cleared open forest near road and rail, and from a roadside.
More
Ridge forests, especially on the coastal plain of the Guyanas. Drier habitats, generally at elevations below 500 metres. Coastal areas, limestone hills, dry mountains and moist foothills, at elevations up to 900 metres.
It is a tropical and subtropical plant. It is best in humus-rich soils. It needs a protected sunny position. It is damaged by frost and drought. It grows from sea level to 1,000 m above sea level.
Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture -
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 9-12

Usage

Cultivated as an ornamental tree for its fragrant flowers and attractive foliage that can change colour to yellow or salmon-orange in spring. The wood is used for making musical instruments.
Uses charcoal environmental use material medicinal ornamental wood
Edible fruits
Therapeutic use Anti-inflammatory agents (aerial part), Antifungal agents (leaf), Anti-inflammatory agents (unspecified)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Plants can be grown from seeds or cuttings.
Mode seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Habit

Citharexylum spinosum habit picture by Mélanie Herteman (cc-by-sa)

Leaf

Citharexylum spinosum leaf picture by das koustav (cc-by-sa)
Citharexylum spinosum leaf picture by Jonathan Rochet (cc-by-sa)
Citharexylum spinosum leaf picture by Mélanie Herteman (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Citharexylum spinosum flower picture by Jonathan Rochet (cc-by-sa)
Citharexylum spinosum flower picture by Steve FAAEVA (cc-by-sa)
Citharexylum spinosum flower picture by Mélanie Herteman (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Citharexylum spinosum fruit picture by Stephanie Ronce (cc-by-sa)
Citharexylum spinosum fruit picture by Helene Richer (cc-by-sa)
Citharexylum spinosum fruit picture by Mélanie Herteman (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Citharexylum spinosum world distribution map, present in Andorra, Australia, Bahamas, Bermuda, Cuba, Dominica, Fiji, Guyana, Haiti, Indonesia, Jamaica, Mozambique, Pakistan, Panama, Puerto Rico, Suriname, Tunisia, United States of America, and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)

Conservation status

Citharexylum spinosum threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:322339-2
WFO ID wfo-0000868468
COL ID VM58
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID 447669
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Citharexylum spinosum f. villosum Citharexylum fruticosum f. subvillosum Colletia tetragona Citharexylum albicaule Citharexylum bahamense Citharexylum coriaceum Citharexylum pulverulentum Citharexylum villosum Citharexylum broadwayi Citharexylum polystachyum Citharexylum fruticosum f. subserratum Citharexylum hybridum Citharexylum laevigatum Citharexylum pentandrum Citharexylum tomentosum Citharexylum quadrangulare Citharexylum teres Citharexylum fruticosum var. brittonii Citharexylum fruticosum var. smallii Citharexylum fruticosum var. subserratum Citharexylum fruticosum var. subvillosum Citharexylum fruticosum var. villosum Citharexylum fruticosum f. bahamense Citharexylum spinosum f. brittonii Citharexylum spinosum f. smallii Citharexylum spinosum f. subserratum Citharexylum spinosum f. subvillosum Citharexylum subserratum Citharexylum surrectum Citharexylum spinosum
WorldFloraDB 2024