Coccoloba uvifera
Coccoloba uvifera | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Order: | Caryophyllales |
Family: | Polygonaceae |
Genus: | Coccoloba |
Species: | C. uvifera
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Binomial name | |
Coccoloba uvifera (L.) L.
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Coccoloba uvifera is a species of tree and flowering plant in the buckwheat family, Polygonaceae, that is native to coastal beaches throughout tropical America and the Caribbean, including central & southern Florida, the Bahamas, the Greater and Lesser Antilles, and Bermuda. Common names include seagrape and baygrape.
Fruit
In late summer, it bears green fruit, about 2 cm (0.79 in) diameter, in large, grape-like clusters.[3] The fruit gradually ripens to a purplish color. Each contains a large pit that constitutes most of the volume of the fruit.
Cultivation and propagation
Although it is capable of surviving down to about 2 °C (35.6 °F), the tree cannot survive frost.[4] The leaves turn reddish before withering. The seeds of this plant, once gathered, must be planted immediately, for unlike most plants, the seeds cannot withstand being stored for future planting.
C. uvifera is wind-resistant,
Sea grape is a
- Hardiness: USDA zone 9B–11
- Propagation: seeds and cuttings
- Culture: partial shade/full sun, drought tolerance
Uses
Coccoloba uvifera is a popular ornamental plant in south Florida yards. It serves as a dune stabilizer and protective habitat for small animals. Tall sea grape plants behind beaches help prevent
In other places native to sea grapes, various parts of the plant are used for medicinal purposes. For example, in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean the roots and bark of the plants are used in traditional medicine, while in the Yucatán peninsula tea made from the bark of sea grape mixed with alcohol is used for ulcers. In French Guiana, a juice made from the whole plant called Jamaica kino, is used to treat diarrhea and dysentery.
Classification
The first botanical names of the plant[9] were assigned in 1696 by Hans Sloane, who called it Prunus maritima racemosa, "maritime grape-cluster Prunus", and Leonard Plukenet, who named it Uvifera littorea, "grape-bearer of the shore", both of which names reflect the European concept of "sea-grape", expressed in a number of languages by the explorers of the times. The natives viewed it as a large mulberry.
The first edition of Linnaeus's Species Plantarum (1753), based on Plukenet, assigned the plant to Polygonum uvifera and noted flores non vidi, "I have not seen the flowers." Subsequently, Patrick Browne, The Civil and Natural History of Jamaica (1756) devised Coccoloba for it. Relying on Browne, Linnaeus' second edition (1762),[10] changed the classification to Coccolobus uvifera, citing all the other names. Coccoloba comes from the Greek kokkolobis, a kind of grape, literally, "berry pod".[11]
Gallery
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Seagrape tree in Cuba
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Aged seagrape leaf (actual diameter about 25 cm or 9.8 in)
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Flowers
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Seagrape (Coccoloba uvifera) shrub at Playa Lucia,Yabucoa, Puerto Rico.
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Seagrape (Coccoloba uvifera) fruit at Playa Lucia, Yabucoa, Puerto Rico.
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Green fruit
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Young leaf
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Branch with young leaves
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Seagrape tree bark
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Seagrape tree branch transverse cut
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Tree trunk transverse cut showing ring growth
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Sea grape hedge
References
- . Retrieved 18 November 2021.
- ^ "NatureServe Explorer 2.0". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
- ^ Alden, P. et al. (1998). National Audubon Society Field Guide to Florida. New York: Knopf
- ^ "Conservation Plant Characteristics for Coccoloba uvifera". US Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
- ISBN 9780881925852. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
- ISBN 1556508808. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
- ^ Shaw, Carolyn (8 February 2008). "Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park: Dune plants are tough enough to withstand harsh conditions". naplesnews.com. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
- ^ "Sea grape". University of Florida School of Forest Resources and Conservation. September 9, 2015. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
- ^ Austin, p. 225.
- ^ Page 523. This edition is downloadable, Google Books, at [1].
- ^ Eckel, P. M. (2018). "A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin". Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
- "Phillipine Medicinal Plants: Sea grape". March 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
- "UF IFAS gardening solution: Seagrape". February 10, 2022.
- Austin, Daniel F. (2004). Florida Ethnobotany. CRC Press. ISBN 0-8493-2332-0. Preview available, Google Books.