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Colubrina elliptica (Sw.) Briz. & Stern
Nakedwood, Soldierwood

Colubrina elliptica
Copyright by: George D. Gann
in habitat, Dominican Republic, 2011

Family: Rhamnaceae

Group: Dicot

Substrate: Terrestrial

Habit: Tree

Perennation: Perennial

Native Range: South Florida, the West Indies, Mexico, Central America and northern South America.

Map of select IRC data for peninsular Florida

State of Florida Status: Endangered

Florida Natural Areas Inventory State Status: SNR

IRC SOUTH FLORIDA Status: Imperiled

SOUTH FLORIDA Occurrence: Present

SOUTH FLORIDA Native Status: Native

South Florida History and Distribution: Ranked as imperiled in Rare Plants of South Florida (Gann, Bradley and Woodmansee, 2002); in 2024 this species is still considered imperiled using updated NatureServe criteria.

SOUTH FLORIDA Cultivated Status: Cultivated

Comments: In South Florida, this is native to the upper Florida Keys in both Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. One specimen was collected in 1904 on the mainland near what is now Castellow Hammock Park north of Homestead by John Kunkel Small (2249a, NY). There are no other records from the South Florida mainland or from offshore barrier islands.

Visit our Natives For Your Neighborhood website for more information and images. For a digitized image of Elbert Little's Florida range map, visit the Exploring Florida website.

Synonyms: C. reclinata.

Other data on Colubrina elliptica available from :

Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants
Colubrina elliptica has been found in the following 7 conservation areas :
Occurrence Native Status
Biscayne National Park Present Native
Biscayne National Park, Florida Keys Section Present Native
Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge Present Native
Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammocks Botanical State Park Present Native
Dove Creek Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
Everglades National Park Present Native
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park Present Native

Colubrina elliptica has been found in the following 2 counties :
Occurrence Native Status
Miami-Dade County Native
Monroe County (Keys) Native

Colubrina elliptica has been found in the following 2 habitats :
Disturbed Upland
Rockland Hammock

All Images:

Colubrina elliptica
Copyright by: George D. Gann
in habitat, Dominican Republic, 2011
Colubrina elliptica
Copyright by: Roger L. Hammer