Colubrina

Colubrina
File:Starr 061222-2598 Colubrina asiatica.jpg
Colubrina asiatica
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Rhamnaceae
Genus:	Colubrina Rich. ex Brongn., 1826
Type species
Colubrina ferruginosa Brongn.
Species
See text
Synonyms
Barcena Dugès Cormonema Reissek ex Endl. Hybosperma Urb. Macrorhamnus Baill.

Colubrina is a genus of about 30 species of flowering plants in the buckthorn 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 generic name is derived from the Latin word coluber, meaning "snake", and refers to the snake-like stems or stamens.

The species are shrubs and small trees growing 1–10 metres (3.3–32.8 ft) tall, with simple ovate leaves. The flowers are small, greenish-white or yellowish; the fruit is a capsule containing three seeds.

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

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

Selected species

• Colubrina arborescens (Mill.) Sarg. – Greenheart (southern Florida, southern Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America)
• Colubrina articulata (Capuron) Figueiredo
• Colubrina asiatica (L.) Brongn. – Asian Nakedwood, ʻĀnapanapa kukuku (Hawaiian) (Indo-Pacific)
• Colubrina beccariana Warb.
• Colubrina californica I.M.Johnst. – Las Animas Nakedwood
• Colubrina cubensis (Jacq.) Brongn. – Cuban Nakedwood (southern Florida, The Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Cuba)
• Colubrina decipiens (Baill.) Capuron
• Colubrina elliptica (Sw.) Brizicky & W.L.Stern – Mabi, Soldierwood (Florida Keys, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, Venezuela)
• Colubrina ferruginosa Brongn.
• Colubrina glandulosa Perkins – Glandular Nakedwood
• Colubrina greggii S.Watson – Sierra Nakedwood
• Colubrina humbertii (H.Perrier) Capuron
• Colubrina nicholsonii Van Wyk & Schrire – Pondo Snakewood, Pondo weeping thorn, Afrikaans: Pondo-treurdoring
• Colubrina oppositifolia Brongn. ex H.Mann – Kauila (Hawaii)
• Colubrina pedunculata Baker f. (Christmas Island)
• Colubrina pubescens Kurz
• Colubrina stricta Engelm. ex M.C. Johnst. – Comal Nakedwood
• Colubrina texensis (Torr. & A.Gray) A.Gray – Snakewood or Texan Hogplum (Texas, northern Mexico)
• Colubrina verrucosa (Urb.) M.C.Johnst. – Urban's Nakedwood

Formerly placed here

• Alphitonia excelsa (Fenzl) Reissek ex Benth. (as C. excelsa Fenzl)

Ecology

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

Uses

In the Caribbean, the leaves and/or fruit and in some cases the bark of some species are used to produce a soft drink called mauby.

External links

• USDA Plants Profile: Colubrina
• Madagascar Flora catalogue: Colubrina
• Flora of China: Colubrina checklist
• Global Invasive Species Database: Colubrina asiatica
• Jepson Flora Project: Colubrina californica