Trees or shrubs to 10 m; branches without thorns. Leaves persistent or tardily deciduous (then turning red and plants briefly leafless); petiole 8–20 mm; blade obovate, 4.2–19.5 × 2–7.5 cm, base attenuate to cuneate, apex short-acuminate or mucro­nate, acute, obtuse, or rounded, surfaces glabrate to sparsely pubescent abaxially, midvein and secondary-veins densely to sparsely pubescent or glabrous, when glabrous, elon­gate hairs usually present in axils, forming domatia, usually with nectar glands near base, glabrous or glabrate to sparsely pubescent adaxially, midvein densely to sparsely pubescent, at least basally; hair-tuft domatia usually present at junction of secondary-veins and midvein, these sometimes poorly developed. Spikes 6.5–15 cm, with bisexual flowers proximally, staminate flowers distally. Flowers 4-merous or 5-merous, bisexual and staminate; free portion of hypanthium 1–2 mm; sepals 1.5–3 mm; stamens 2–4.3 mm; style 3.5–4 mm. Drupes green or red becoming blue or blue-black, slightly flattened, ovoid to ellipsoid, 12–20 × 8–15 mm, sparsely pubescent or glabrous; with 2 poorly developed and rounded ridges; hypanthium and calyx usually deciduous in age. 2n = 36.

Phenology: Flowering spring, summer.
Habitat: Mangrove swamps, dis­turbed hammocks, other disturbed habitats.
Elevation: 0–10 m.

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Introduced; Fla., ne Australia

Discussion

Terminalia muelleri is occasionally cultivated as an ornamental tree in southern and central Florida; it has naturalized coastally from Palm Beach County in the east to Manatee County in the west, and extending south­ward on the peninsula.

Terminalia muelleri is a triploid; polyploidy is com­mon in the genus (D. Ohri 1996; C. A. Stace 2007).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.