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Regional Overview of Caribbean Islands| TABLE 46. SELECTED LIST OF ECONOMICALLY IMPORTANT PLANTS | ||
1. Important timber trees |
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| Alchornea latifolia | dovewood | Central America, Greater Antilles |
| Andira inermis | angelin | Tropical America, Tropical Africa |
| *Beilschmiedia pendula | slugwood | Antilles |
| Brosimum alicastrum | breadnut | Tropical America |
| *Brya ebenus | West Indian ebony | Cuba, Jamaica |
| Bucida buceras | black olive | Tropical America |
| Buchenavia capitata | wild olive | Tropical America |
| Byrsonima coriacea and spp. | hogberry | Tropical America |
| Caesalpinia violacea | Cuba | |
| *Calophyllum calaba | Santa Maria | Antilles |
| *Calycogonium squamulosum | Puerto Rico | |
| *Calycophyllum candidissimum | dagame | Cuba |
| Carapa guianensis | crappo | Tropical America |
| Catalpa longissima | yokewood | Antilles |
| Cedrela odorata | cedar | Tropical America |
| Ceiba pentandra | silkcotton | Tropics |
| Chimarrhis cymosa | bois riviere | Antilles |
| Chrysophyllum spp. (4) | Tropical America | |
| Citharexylum fruticosum | white fiddlewood | Tropical America |
| Clethra occidentalis | soapwood | Tropical America |
| Copaifera officinalis and spp. | balsam | Tropical America, Cuba?, Trinidad |
| Cordia alliodora | bois chypre | Tropical America |
| Cordia gerascanthus | baria, panchallon | Tropical America |
| *Dacryodes excelsa | gommier | Antilles |
| Didymopanax morototoni | jereton | Tropical America |
| Dussia martinicensis | bois gamelle | Lesser Antilles |
| Eschweilera subglandulosa | guatacare | Trinidad, Guyana |
| *Eugenia stahlii and spp. | rodwood | Antilles |
| Genipa americana | genip | Tropical America |
| Guaiacum officinale | lignum vitae | Tropical America |
| Guarea glabra and spp. | redwood, alligator wood | Antilles, northern South America |
| Guatteria caribaea | bois anglais | Lesser Antilles |
| Guazuma ulmifolia | bastard cedar | Tropical America |
| *Guettarda valenzuelana and spp. | Antilles | |
| *Haenianthus salicifolius and spp. | Greater Antilles | |
| Hernandia sonora | toporite | Tropical America |
| *Hibiscus elatus | blue mahoe | Cuba, Jamaica |
| Homalium racemosum | cogwood | Tropical America |
| *Hyeronima clusioides and spp. | Antilles, Trinidad | |
| Hymenaea courbaril | West Indian locust | Tropical America |
| Inga laurina | pois doux | Tropical America |
| *Inga vera | Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico | |
| *Juglans insularis | nogel | Cuba |
| *Juglans jamaicensis | walnut | Hispaniola, Puerto Rico |
| Lonchocarpus pentaphyllus | savonette jaune | Antilles |
| Lonchocarpus sericeus | savonette riviere | Tropical America |
| Lysiloma latisiliqua | sabicu | Bahamas, Cuba |
| *Magnolia cubensis and spp. | mantequero | Northern Antilles |
| Manilkara bidentata and spp. | balata | Tropical America |
| Matayba apetala and spp. | pigeon wood | Tropical America |
| Meliosma herbertii | Tropical America | |
| Micropholis guyanensis and spp | Tropical America | |
| *Nectandra antillana and spp. | sweetwood | Antilles |
| Nectandra coriacea | timber sweetwood | Tropical America |
| *Oxandra laurifolia | lancewood | Antilles |
| Ochroma pyramidale | balsa | Tropical America |
| Ocotea martinicensis and spp. | laurier | Antilles |
| *Ormosia jamaicensis and spp. | red nickel | Jamaica, Antilles |
| Pachira spp. | wild chataigne | Trinidad |
| *Petitia domingensis | fiddlewood | Northern Antilles |
| *Phoebe montana (Cinnamomum montanum) |
Greater Antilles | |
| Piscidia piscipula | dogwood | Tropical America |
| Pithecellobium arboreum | wild tamarind | Tropical America |
| Pouteria multiflora and spp. | bullet | Tropical America |
| Pradosia spp. (3) | South America, Trinidad | |
| Prunus occidentalis | almendro | Central America, Antilles |
| Sapindus saponaria | savonette | Tropical America |
| Sideroxylon spp. (25) | mastic | Antilles |
| Simarouba amara and spp. | bitter damson, bois blanc | Tropical America |
| *Sloanea spp. | break-axe | Antilles |
| Spondias mombin | hog plum | Tropics |
| *Stahlia monosperma | Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico | |
| *Swietenia mahagoni | West Indian mahogany | Northern Caribbean |
| Talauma dodecapetala | bois pin | Lesser Antilles |
| *Tabebuia heterophylla and spp. | poui, roble | Antilles |
| *Terminalia latifolia and spp. | broadleaf | Antilles |
| *Tetragastris balsamifera | Antilles | |
| *Thespesia grandiflora | montezuma | Puerto Rico |
| Thespesia populnea | seaside mahoe | Tropics |
| Trichilia moschata | muskwood | Jamaica, Guatemala |
| Vitex divaricata | black fiddlewood | Tropical America |
| Xylopia muricata | lancewood | Jamaica |
| Zanthoxylum spp. | satinwood | Antilles |
2. Species used as food |
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| a. Regularly used | ||
| Anacardium occidentale | cashew | Tropical America |
| Annona muricata | soursop | Tropical America |
| Annona reticulata | custard apple | Tropical America |
| Annona squamosa | sweetsop | Tropical America |
| Bixa orellana | annatto | Tropical America |
| Carica papaya | pawpaw | Tropical America |
| Chrysobalanus icaco | coco plum | Tropical America |
| *Chrysophyllum cainito | star apple | Greater Antilles (widely cultivated elsewhere) |
| Colubrina arborescens | mauby | Tropical America |
| Colubrina elliptica | mauby | Tropical America |
| Malpighia emarginata | West Indian cherry | Antilles, northern South America |
| Mammea americana | mammey | Tropical America |
| Myrciaria floribunda | Tropical America | |
| Pimenta dioica | pimento | Central America, West Indies |
| Pimenta racemosa | bay rum tree | South America, West Indies |
| Psidium guajava | guava | Tropical America |
| Spondias mombin | hog plum | ? Tropical America |
| Spondias purpurea | Jamaica plum | Tropical America |
| Ximenia americana | tallow plum | Pantropical |
| *Ziziphus rignonii | Antilles | |
| b. Irregularly used | ||
| Acrocomia spinosa and spp. | maccafat | Tropical America |
| Annona glabra | pond apple | Tropical America, West Africa |
| Bomarea edulis | salsilla | Tropical America |
| Byrsonima coriacea | hogberry | Tropical America |
| Byrsonima crassifolia | savanna serette | Tropical America |
| Calathea allouia | topitambu | South America, West Indies |
| Crossopetalum rhacoma | poison cherry | Pan-Caribbean |
| Coccoloba uvifera | seagrape | Tropical America |
| Cucumis anguria | West Indian gherkin | Native to Africa |
| Eugenia ligustrina | rodwood | Tropical America |
| Ficus spp. | ||
| *Garcinia humilis | wild mammee | Antilles |
| Hymenaea courbaril | West Indian locust | Tropical America |
| Inga laurina | pois doux | Tropical America |
| Inga vera | pois doux | Greater Antilles (excluding Cuba) |
| Maclura tinctoria | fustic tree | Tropical America |
| Manilkara bidentata | balata | Tropical America |
| Melicoccus bijugatus | guinep | Tropical America |
| Miconia spp. | cotelette; fishleaf | Tropical America |
| Micropholis rugosa | ||
| Opuntia spp. | tuna | Tropical America |
| Pereskia aculeata | West Indian gooseberry | Tropical America |
| Pilosocereus royeni | dildo pear | Antilles |
| *Pouteria multiflora | bullet | Antilles |
| Rollinia mucosa | wild cashimar | Tropical America |
3. Medicinal plants |
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| Anacardium occidentale | cashew | Tropical America |
| Aristolochia trilobata | tref | Central America, West Indies |
| Bontia daphnoides | olive bush | South America, West Indies |
| Canella winterana | canella | Florida, Northern Antilles |
| Capraria biflora | thé-pays | Tropical America |
| Capsicum spp. | chilli pepper | Tropical America |
| Cassia alata | wild senna | Tropical America |
| Cecropia peltata | trumpet tree | Tropical America |
| Chione venosa | bois bandé | Antilles |
| Cordia curassavica | black sage | South America, West Indies |
| Eryngium foetidum | fitweed | Tropical America |
| Eupatorium odoratum | Christmas bush | Tropical America |
| Eupatorium triplinerve | japana | Tropical America |
| Fevillea cordifolia | antidote caccoon | Tropical America |
| Gossypium barbadense | cotton | Tropical South America |
| Gouania lupulina | chew stick | Tropical America |
| Guaiacum officinale | lignum vitae | Tropical America |
| Guaiacum sanctum | lignum vitae | Northern subtropical America |
| Hymenocallis spp. | spiderlily | Tropical America |
| Jatropha curcas | physicnut | Tropical America |
| Justicia pectoralis | garden balsam | Tropical America |
| Justicia secunda | St John bush | South America, West Indies |
| Microtea debilis | Tropical America | |
| Mimosa pudica | sensitive plant | Tropical America |
| Myrica cerifera | waxwood | Central America, West Indies |
| Neurolaena lobata | zebapique | Tropical America |
| Parthenium hysterophorus | Tropical America | |
| Petiveria alliacea | gully root | Tropical America |
| Phyllanthus amarus | seed-under-leaf | Tropical America |
| Picrasma excelsa | bitterwood | Greater Antilles, Venezuela |
| Pilocarpus racemosus | Antilles, mainland Caribbean coast | |
| Piper spp. | jointers | Tropical America |
| Piscidia carthagenensis | dogwood | Tropical America |
| Pluchea carolinensis | wild tobacco | Tropical America |
| Porophyllum ruderale | shiny bush | Tropical America |
| Quassia amara | quassia | Tropical America |
| Richeria spp. | bois bande | Tropical America |
| Ryania speciosa | bois l'agli | Trinidad, Venezuela |
| Roupala montana | bois bande | South America, Trinidad |
| Ruellia tuberosa | minny root | Tropical America |
| Solanum americanum | gouma | Tropical America |
| Stachytarpheta jamaicensis | vervine | Tropical America |
| Tournefortia spp. | jigger bush | Tropical America |
4. Craft materials |
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| Abrus precatorius | crabs eyes | Tropics |
| Agave sobolifera and spp. | coratoe, sisal | Tropical America |
| Caesalpinia bonduc and spp. | nickel | Antilles |
| Carludovica palmata | jippi jappa | Tropical America |
| Coccothrinax jamaicensis and spp. | silver thatch | Antilles |
| Entada gigas and spp. | caccoon | Antilles |
| Hibiscus elatus | blue mahoe | Antilles |
| Hura crepitans | sandbox | Tropical America |
| Ischnosiphon arouma | larouman, tirite | South America, West Indies |
| Manicaria plukenetii and many other palms | timite | Trinidad |
5. Genera of economic importance The following genera include well known economic plants with species which are indigenous in the region. The value of the native Caribbean species as sources of genetical material has mostly still to be investigated. |
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| Agave (Agavaceae) | Juglans (Juglandaceae) |
| Canna (Cannaceae) | Juniperus (Cupressaceae) |
| Cinnamomum (Lauraceae) | Magnolia (Magnoliaceae) |
| Corchorus (Tiliaceae) | Persea (Lauraceae) |
| Crotalaria (Leguminosae) | Phaseolus (Leguminosae) |
| Crotalaria (Leguminosae) | Pimenta (Myrtaceae) |
| Erythroxylum (Erythroxylaceae) | Podocarpus (Podocarpaceae) |
| Eugenia (Myrtaceae) | Psidium (Myrtaceae) |
| Garcinia (Guttiferae) | Solanum (Solanaceae) |
| Glycine (Leguminosae) | Vanilla (Orchidaceae) |
| Gossypium (Malvaceae) | Vigna (Leguminosae) |
| Ipomoea (Convolvulaceae) | Vigna (Leguminosae) |
| Note: * endemic species | |