Colubrina

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iColubrina
Colubrina asiatica
Colubrina asiatica
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Rosales
Family: Rhamnaceae
Genus: Colubrina
Rich. ex Brongn.
Species

See text

Colubrina is a genus of about 30 species of flowering plants in the family Rhamnaceae, native to warm temperate to tropical regions of Africa, the Americas, southern Asia, northern Australia, and the Indian Ocean islands. Common names include nakedwood, snakewood, greenheart and hogplum.

The species are shrubs and small trees growing 1-10 m tall, with simple ovate leaves. The flowers are small, greenish-white or yellowish; the fruit is a capsule containing three seeds.

Selected species
  • Colubrina arborescens Greenheart
  • Colubrina articulata
  • Colubrina asiatica Asian Nakedwood
  • Colubrina californica Las Animas Nakedwood
  • Colubrina cubensis Cuban Nakedwood
  • Colubrina decipiens
  • Colubrina elliptica Soldierwood
  • Colubrina glandulosa Glandular Nakedwood
  • Colubrina greggii Sierra Nakedwood
  • Colubrina humbertii
  • Colubrina oppositifolia Kauila
  • Colubrina pubescens
  • Colubrina stricta Comal Nakedwood
  • Colubrina texensis Snakewood or Texan Hogplum
  • Colubrina verrucosa Urban's Nakedwood

The genus is at least in part a wastebin taxon, and revision will likely result in the renaming of a number of species to different genera [1].

Colubrina asiatica, native to tropical Asia, eastern Africa and northern Australia, has become an invasive species in Florida.

Colubrina species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Bucculatrix kendalli which feeds exclusively on C. texensis.

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