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Ximenia americana

Ximenia americana L.

Tallow Wood, Tallowwood

Olacaceae (Olax Family)

Synonym(s): Ximenia inermis

USDA Symbol: XIAM

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), PR (N), VI (N)

Sprawling shrub to short tree; crown narrow, irreg.; trunk(s) twisted; branches spreading, crooked, thorny.

Tallowwood berries have been used in the making of soap and cosmetics.

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Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Leaf Retention: Evergreen
Fruit Type: Drupe
Size Notes: Up to about 35 feet tall, often much shorter.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Yellow , Green
Bloom Time: Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct , Nov

Distribution

USA: FL
Native Distribution: Peninsular Florida.
Native Habitat: Hammocks, scrub, pinelands.

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	FACU			UPL

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

Web Reference

Webref 57 - Atlas of Florida Plants (2020) Institute for Systematic Botany
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Research Literature

Reslit 854 - Effects of pre-germination treatments, desiccation and storage temperature on germination of Carissa edulis, Vangueria madagascariensis and Ximenia americana seeds (2006) N. T. Maara, M. Karachi and J. O. Ahenda
Reslit 959 - Characterization of wild plum (Ximenia americana L. var. americana; Olacaceae) fruit growing at Tepexi de Rodriguez, Puebla, Mexico (2009) V. H. F. Mora, O. Franco-Mora, J. A. Lopez-Sandova...
Reslit 1680 - The embryology of Ximenia americana L. (1978) K. S. Rao and G. Shivaramiah
Reslit 1951 - Novel analysis of spatial and temporal patterns of resource use in a group of tephritid flies of the genus Anastrepha. Ximenia americana is the host for Anastrepha alveata. These flies lay eggs in the fruit of the host plant. Anastrepha alveata tended t (2004) J. Sivinski, M. Aluja, J. Pinero and M. Ojeda
Reslit 2120 - Wild plum fruit characterization (Ximenia americana L.) (2008) G. G. da Silva, P. A. de Souza, P. L. D. de Morais...

This information was provided by the Florida WIldflower Foundation.
Search More Titles in Research Literature

Additional resources

USDA: Find Ximenia americana in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Ximenia americana in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Ximenia americana

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-01-03
Research By: TWC Staff

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