Xylosma

Xylosma
Xylosma hawaiiense
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Malpighiales
Family:	Salicaceae
Tribe:	Flacourtieae[1]
Genus:	Xylosma G.Forst., 1786[2]
Type species
Xylosma orbiculata (J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.) G.Forst.[2]
Species
About 100, see text
Synonyms
Craepaloprumnon (Endl.) H.Karst. Eichlerodendron Briq. Hisingera Hell. Lightfootia Sw. Myroxylon J.R.Forst. & G.Forst. Roumea DC., orth. var. Rumea Poit.[3]

Xylosma ( /zaɪˈlɒzmə/)^[4] is a genus of flowering plants in the in the willow family, Salicaceae.^[3] It contains around 100 species of spiny evergreen shrubs and trees^[5] commonly known as brushhollies, xylosmas, or, more ambiguously, "logwoods". The generic name is derived from the Greek words ξύλον (xylon), meaning "wood," and ὀσμή (osmé), meaning "smell,"^[6] referring to the fragrant wood of some of the species.^[5] The Takhtajan system places it in the family Flacourtiaceae,^[7] which is considered defunct by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group.^[3]

Description

The leaves are alternate, simple, entire or finely toothed, 2–10 cm (0.79–3.9 in) long. The flowers are small, yellowish, produced on racemes 1–3 cm (0.39–1.2 in) long, usually dioecious,^[8] and have a strong scent. The fruit is a small purple-black berry 5–10 mm (0.20–0.39 in) in diameter that contains 2 to 8 seeds.^[5]

Range

The genus is predominantly native to the tropics and subtropics,^[5] from the Caribbean, Central America, northern South America, the Pacific Islands, southern Asia and northern Australasia. Two species – Shiny Xylosma (X. congestum) and X. japonicum – are found in warm-temperate eastern Asia (China, Korea and Japan).

Ecology

Xylosma foliage is used as food by the caterpillars of some lepidoptera, such as the Rustic (Cupha erymanthis), which feeds on X. racemosa, and the Common Leopard (Phalanta phalantha), which feeds on X. longifolium and X. racemosa.

Uses

The main use for the genus is as hedge and topiary plants among gardeners in desert and chaparral climates. Shiny Xylosma is the species usually seen in garden hedges and in road landscaping, despite the fact it bears thorns. Other species cultivated for these purposes include X. bahamensis, X. flexuosa, and X. heterophyllum.^[5] X. longifolium is sometimes grown in India for its edible fruits.^[9] In addition, a medicinal extract is made from its young leaves that acts as antispasmodic, narcotic, and sedative.^[10]

Selected species

Xylosma bahamensis (Britton) Standl. – Bahamas Xylosma (The Bahamas)[11] Xylosma bolivianum Sleumer Xylosma boulindae Sleumer (New Caledonia) Xylosma buxifolia A.Gray – Boxleaf Xylosma (the Caribbean)[11] Xylosma capillipes Guillaumin (New Caledonia) Xylosma ciliatifolia (Clos) Eichler Xylosma congestum (Lour.) Merrill – Shiny Xylosma Xylosma crenatum H.St.John – Sawtooth Logwood (Kauaʻi in Hawaii) Xylosma fawcettii Urb. (Jamaica) Xylosma flexuosa (Kunth) Hemsl. – Brushholly (Mexico, Central America)[5] Xylosma glaberrimum Sleumer (Brazil) Xylosma grossecrenatum (Sleumer) Lescot (New Caledonia) Xylosma hawaiiense Seem. – Hawaiian Brushholly, Maua (Hawaii) Xylosma heterophyllum (H.Karst.) Gilg. (Colombia)[5] Xylosma inaequinervium Sleumer (New Caledonia) Xylosma japonicum (Thunb.) A.Gr. Xylosma kaalense Sleumer (New Caledonia) Xylosma latifolium J.Hk. & Thoms. (India) Xylosma longifolium Clos (Western Himalayas)[9] Xylosma maidenii Xylosma molestum Sleumer (New Caledonia) Xylosma obovatum (Karsten) Triana & Planchon (Colombia) Xylosma orbiculata (J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.) G.Forst. (Fiji, Tonga, Niue)[12]

Xylosma ovatum Xylosma pachyphyllum (Krug & Urb.) Urb. – Spiny Logwood (Puerto Rico) Xylosma palawanense Mend. (Philippines) Xylosma panamensis Turcz. Xylosma parvifolium Xylosma peltatum (Sleumer) Lescot (New Caledonia) Xylosma pininsulare Guillaumin (New Caledonia) Xylosma prockia (Turcz.) Turcz. Xylosma proctorii Sleumer (Jamaica) Xylosma pseudosalzmannii Sleumer Xylosma racemosa (Siebold & Zucc.) Miq. Xylosma ruizianum Sleumer (Peru) Xylosma salzmanni Eich. Xylosma samoense Sleumer (Savai'i) Xylosma schaefferioides A.Gray – White Logwood (Greater Antilles)[11] Xylosma schwaneckeana Urb. – Schwaneck's Logwood (Puerto Rico)[11] Xylosma senticosa Hance Xylosma serpentinum Sleumer (New Caledonia) Xylosma serrata (Sw.) Urb. Xylosma simulans A.C.Sm. Xylosma spiculifera (Tul.) Triana & Planch. (Colombia)[9] Xylosma terrae-reginae C.T.White & Sleumer (NSW and Queensland, Australia) Xylosma tuberculatum Sleumer (New Caledonia) Xylosma tweedianum (Clos) Eichler Xylosma sp. 'Mt Lewis'[13][14][15]

References

1. ^ "Genus Xylosma". Taxonomy. UniProt. http://www.uniprot.org/taxonomy/179718. Retrieved 2010-01-31. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "!Xylosma G. Forst.". TROPICOS. Missouri Botanical Garden. http://www.tropicos.org/Name/40027712. Retrieved 2010-03-05. 
3. ^ ^{a b c} "Genus: Xylosma G. Forst". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2007-10-05. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/genus.pl?12989. Retrieved 2010-01-31. 
4. ^ Brenzel, Kathleen N. (1995). Sunset Western Garden Book (6 ed.). Sunset Publishing Corporation. pp. 606–607. ISBN 9780376038517. 
5. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} Everett, Thomas H. (1982). The New York Botanical Garden Illustrated Encyclopedia of Horticulture. 10. Taylor & Francis. p. 3572. ISBN 9780824072407. http://books.google.com/?id=KeGzp-YXrPYC. 
6. ^ Quattrocchi, Umberto (2000). CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names: Common Names, Scientific Names, Eponyms, Synonyms, and Etymology. IV R-Z. Taylor & Francis US. p. 2857. ISBN 9780849326783. http://books.google.com/?id=zIOvJSJs-IkC. 
7. ^ Takhtajan, Armen (2009). Flowering Plants (2 ed.). Springer. p. 226. ISBN 9781402096082. http://books.google.com/?id=oumyfO-NHuUC. 
8. ^ "Xylosma G. Forster, Fl. Ins. Austr. 72. 1786.". Flora of China. eFloras.org. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=135180. Retrieved 2010-02-03. 
9. ^ ^{a b c} Peter Hanelt; Institute of Genetics and Crop Plant Research, ed (2001). Mansfeld's Encyclopedia of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops (Except Ornamentals). 3. Springer. pp. 1374. ISBN 9783540410171. http://books.google.com/?id=10IMFSavIMsC. 
10. ^ Khare, C. P. (2007). Indian Medicinal Plants: An Illustrated Dictionary. Springer. p. 725. ISBN 9780387706375. http://books.google.com/?id=gMwLwbUwtfkC. 
11. ^ ^{a b c d} Grandtner, Miroslav M. (2005). Elsevier's Dictionary of Trees. 1. Elsevier. pp. 969–972. ISBN 9780444517845. http://books.google.com/?id=yjc5ZYWtkNAC. 
12. ^ Heads, Michael (2006). "Seed plants of Fiji: an ecological analysis" (PDF). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 89: 459. http://www.sciencebuff.org/content/files/science-pdf/Heads/Headfs%202006%20Fiji%20data.pdf. Retrieved 2010-03-05. 
13. ^ "GRIN Species Records of Xylosma". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?12989. Retrieved 2010-01-31. 
14. ^ "Xylosma". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=500616. Retrieved 2010-01-31. 
15. ^ "Subordinate Taxa of !Xylosma G. Forst.". TROPICOS. Missouri Botanical Garden. http://www.tropicos.org/NameSubordinateTaxa.aspx?nameid=40027712. Retrieved 2010-01-31.