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Dodonaea viscosa Jacq. var. viscosa
Varnishleaf, Florida hopbush

Dodonaea viscosa
Copyright by: George D. Gann

Family: Sapindaceae

Group: Dicot

Substrate: Terrestrial

Habit: Shrub

Perennation: Perennial

Native Range: Peninsular Florida, the West Indies, Mexico, Central America, South America and the Old World tropics. In peninsular Florida, rare along the east coast to Brevard County, and then apparently disjunct from Sarasota to Hillsborough on the west coast. Plants from Pinellas and Hernando County are also likely this taxon, although plants in Hernando County represent a distinct form with long, narrow leaves (= f. schiedeana).

Map of select IRC data for peninsular Florida

Florida Natural Areas Inventory State Status: Apparently Secure

IRC SOUTH FLORIDA Status: Imperiled

SOUTH FLORIDA Occurrence: Present

SOUTH FLORIDA Native Status: Native

SOUTH FLORIDA Cultivated Status: Cultivated

Comments: Visit our Natives For Your Neighborhood website for more information and images. Many authors also place D. viscosa var. angustifolia into synonymy under D. viscosa. Both taxa are present in South Florida. For a digitized image of Elbert Little's Florida range map of D. viscosa sensu lato, visit the Exploring Florida website. Native populations in the Florida Keys are D. elaeagnoides except on Sands Key in Biscayne National Park; on the east coast plants of D. viscosa var. viscosa are found scattered from Sands Key in Miami-Dade County north to Brevard County, while D. viscosa var. angustifolia, the most widespread taxon, is found near or along the coast from Martin County to Anastasia Island in St. Johns County, in the interior, and along the southwestern coast north to at least Sarasota County.

Other data on Dodonaea viscosa var. viscosa available from :

Dodonaea viscosa var. viscosa has been found in the following 15 conservation areas :
Occurrence Native Status
Atlantic Dunes Park Present Native, Cultivated Only
Beachwalk Pasley Park Present Native
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park Present Native
Biscayne National Park Present Native
Crandon Park Present Native
Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammocks Botanical State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Deering Estate at Cutler Present Native
Delray Beach Municipal Beach Present Native
Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park Present Native
Enchanted Forest Park Present Not Native, Cultivated Only
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park Present Not Native, Cultivated Only
Savannas Preserve State Park Present Native
St. Lucie Inlet Preserve State Park Present Native
Twin Rivers Present Native
Virginia Key Beach Park and Marine Stadium Present Native

Dodonaea viscosa var. viscosa has been found in the following 3 counties :
Occurrence Native Status
Broward County Native
Martin County Native
Miami-Dade County Native

Dodonaea viscosa var. viscosa has been found in the following 2 habitats :
Coastal Strand
Disturbed Upland

All Images:

Dodonaea viscosa
Copyright by: George D. Gann
Dodonaea viscosa
Copyright by: George D. Gann
Dodonaea viscosa
Copyright by: George D. Gann, 2016
In habitat, Piñones State Forest, Loíza, Puerto Rico, Enlarge