List of trees of the Caribbean explained

Prior to European settlement, the Caribbean was dominated by forested ecosystems. The insular Caribbean has been considered a biodiversity hotspot.^[1] Although species diversity is lower than on mainland systems, endemism is high.

Species diversity is highest and endemism is lowest in Trinidad, which has a predominantly continental flora. Endemism is highest in Cuba and Hispaniola, the largest members of the Greater Antilles.

List of species

Native species

Acanthaceae

• Avicennia germinans

Anacardiaceae

• Comocladia dodonaea
• Spondias mombin

Annonaceae

• Annona trinitensis ^[2]
• Duguetia
  • Duguetia lucida
  • Duguetia tobagensis^[2]
• Rollinia
  • Rollinia mucosa
  • Rollinia exsucca^[2]

Apocynaceae

• Plumeria rubra

Arecaceae

See main article: List of palms native to the Caribbean.

Araliaceae

• Aralia
  • Aralia excelsa^[3]
  • Aralia rex^[4]
• Dendropanax
  • Dendropanax arboreus^[5]
  • Dendropanax blakeanus^[6]
  • Dendropanax cordifolius^[7]
  • Dendropanax cuneifolius^[8]
  • Dendropanax elongatus^[9]
  • Dendropanax filipes^[10]
  • Dendropanax grandiflorus^[11]
  • Dendropanax grandis^[12]
  • Dendropanax laurifolius^[13]
  • Dendropanax nervosus^[14]
  • Dendropanax nutans^[15]
  • Dendropanax oblanceatus^[16]
  • Dendropanax pendulus^[17]
  • Dendropanax portlandianus^[18]
  • Dendropanax selleanus^[19]
  • Dendropanax swartzii^[20]
• Didymopanax
  • Didymopanax morototoni^[21] – Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Leeward Islands, and Trinidad. Introduced to Windward Islands
• Frodinia
  • Frodinia gleasonii^[22] – Puerto Rico
  • Frodinia tremula^[23] – Hispaniola
• Oreopanax
  • Oreopanax capitatus^[24]
  • Oreopanax dussii^[25]
  • Oreopanax ramosissimus^[26]
• Sciodaphyllum
  • Sciodaphyllum attenuatum^[27] – Leeward Islands and Windward Islands
  • Sciodaphyllum glabratum^[28] – Trinidad
  • Sciodaphyllum brownei^[29] – Jamaica
  • Sciodaphyllum troyanum^[30] – Jamaica
  • Sciodaphyllum urbanianum^[31] – Martinique

Bignoniaceae

• Catalpa longissima
• Crescentia
  • Crescentia cujete (Calabash)
  • Crescentia portoricensis
• Tabebuia
  • Tabebuia heterophylla
  • Tabebuia rosea
• Tecoma stans

Bombacaceae

• Ceiba pentandra (kapok tree)
• Ochroma pyramidale

Boraginaceae

• Bourreria succulenta
• Cordia
  • Cordia alliodora
  • Cordia sulcata
• Rochefortia acanthophora

Burseraceae

• Dacryodes excelsa (Tabonuco)
• Bursera simaruba

Buxaceae

• Buxus
  • Buxus aneura
  • Buxus brevipes
  • Buxus crassifolia
  • Buxus ekmanii
  • Buxus excisa
  • Buxus heterophylla
  • Buxus imbricata
  • Buxus muelleriana
  • Buxus olivacea
  • Buxus pilosula
  • Buxus portoricensis
  • Buxus rheedioides
  • Buxus vahlii

Canellaceae

• Canella winteriana

Cannabaceae

• Celtis trinervia - Hispaniola

Capparidaceae

• Capparis
  • Capparis baducca
  • Capparis cynophallophora
  • Capparis flexuosa
  • Capparis hastata
  • Capparis indica

Celastraceae

• Cassine xylocarpa
• Gyminda latifolia
• Maytenus
  • Maytenus monticola^[2]
  • Maytenus reflex^[2]
• Schaefferia frutescens

Clusiaceae

• Calophyllum
  • Calophyllum calaba
  • Calophyllum lucidum
• Clusia
  • Clusia aripoensis^[2]
  • Clusia intertexta^[2]
  • Clusia minor
  • Clusia rosea
  • Clusia tocuchensis^[2]
• Mammea americana

Combretaceae

• Buchenavia tetraphylla
• Bucida buceras
• Conocarpus erectus (Buttonwood)
• Laguncularia racemosa
• Terminalia amazonia

Cupressaceae

• Juniperus barbadensis
• Juniperus gracilior
• Juniperus saxicola

Cyrillaceae

• Cyrilla racemiflora

Dilleniaceae

• Curatella americana

Elaeocarpaceae

• Muntingia calabura
• Sloanea berteroana
• Sloanea caribaea

Erythroxylaceae

• Erythroxylum
  • Erythroxylum areolatum
  • Erythroxylum brevipes
  • Erythroxylum rotundifolium
  • Erythroxylum urbanii

Euphorbiaceae

• Adelia rincinella
• Alchornea latifolia
• Bernardia dichotoma
• Fluggea acidoton
• Gymnanthes lucida
• Hura crepitans
• Jatropha hernandiifolia
• Picrodendron baccatum
• Savia sessiliflora

Fabaceae

• Andira inermis
• Caesalpinia coriaria
• Enterolobium cyclocarpum
• Hymenaea courbaril
• Inga
  • Inga fagifolia
  • Inga vera
• Mora excelsa
• Ormosia krugii
• Pictetia aculeata
• Piscidia carthagenensis
• Pithecellobium unguis-cati
• Pterocarpus officinalis

Flacourtiaceae

• Samyda dodecandra
• Xylosoma buxifolia

Garryaceae

• Garrya fadyenii

Hernandiaceae

• Hernandia sonora

Juglandaceae

• Juglans jamaicensis

Lecythidaceae

• Eschweilera subglandulosa

Malpighiaceae

• Byrsonima
  • Byrsonima crassifolia
  • Byrsonima spicata

Malvaceae

• Talipariti elatum (Blue Mahoe)
• Thespesia grandiflora
• Hildegardia cubensis

Magnoliaceae

• Magnolia
  • Magnolia cristalensis ^[32]
  • Magnolia cubensis ^[33]
  • Magnolia dealbata ^[34]
  • Magnolia domingensis ^[35]
  • Magnolia ekmanii ^[36]
  • Magnolia emarginata ^[37]
  • Magnolia hamorii ^[38]
  • Magnolia minor ^[39]
  • Magnolia pallescens ^[40]
  • Magnolia portoricensis ^[41]
  • Magnolia splendens ^[42]

Meliaceae

• Carapa
  • Carapa guianensis
• Cedrela odorata
• Guarea
  • Guarea guidonia
• Swietenia mahagoni (West Indian Mahogany)
• Trichilia
  • Trichilia hirta
  • Trichilia triacantha

Moraceae

• Cecropia
  • Cecropia peltata
  • Cecropia schreberiana
• Ficus
  • Ficus americana^[43]
  • Ficus aurea^[43]
  • Ficus citrifolia
  • Ficus maxima
• Maclura tinctoria

Myrtaceae

• Eugenia
  • Eugenia axillaris
  • Eugenia biflora
  • Eugenia cruegeri^[2]
  • Eugenia foetida
  • Eugenia lingustrina
  • Eugenia monticola
  • Eugenia procera
  • Eugenia rhombea
  • Eugenia woodburyana
  • Eugenia xerophytica
  • Myrciaria floribunda
• Psidium
  • Psidium amplexicaule
  • Psidium guajava (Guava)

Nyctaginaceae

• Guapira fragrans
• Neea buxifolia
• Pisonia
  • Pisonia aculeata
  • Pisonia albida
  • Pisonia subcordata

Oleaceae

• Forestiera segregata
• Ximenia americana

Pinaceae

• Pinus
  • Pinus caribaea
  • Pinus cubensis
  • Pinus occidentalis
  • Pinus tropicalis

Podocarpaceae

• Podocarpus
  • Podocarpus angustifolius
  • Podocarpus aristulatus
  • Podocarpus coriaceus
  • Podocarpus hispaniolensis
  • Podocarpus purdieanus
  • Podocarpus trinitensis
  • Podocarpus urbanii

Polygonaceae

• Coccoloba
  • Coccoloba diversifolia
  • Coccoloba krugii
  • Coccoloba microstachya
  • Coccoloba swartzii
  • Coccoloba uvifera (Sea grape)

Rhamnaceae

• Colubrina
  • Colubrina arborescens
  • Colubrina elliptica
• Reynosia
  • Reynosia guama
  • Reynosia uncinata
• Krugiodendron ferreum
• Ziziphus reticulata

Rhizophoraceae

• Rhizophora mangle

Rosaceae

• Prunus occidentalis

Rubiaceae

• Antirhea
  • Antirhea acutata
  • Antirhea lucida
• Erithalis fruticosa
• Exostema caribaeum
• Genipa americana
• Guettarda
  • Guettarda elliptica
  • Guettarda krugii
  • Guettarda odorata
• Randia
  • Randia aculeata
  • Randia portoricensis
• Rondelita inermis

Rutaceae

• Amyris
  • Amyris balsamifera
  • Amyris elemifera
• Zanthoxylum
  • Zanthoxylum flavum
  • Zanthoxylum martinicense
  • Zanthoxylum monophyllum
  • Zanthoxylum spinifex
  • Zanthoxylum thomasianum

Sapindaceae

• Cupania americana
• Melicoccus bijugatus
• Thouinia striata

Sapotaceae

• Chrysophyllum
  • Chrysophyllum argenteum^[44]
  • Chrysophyllum cainito^[45]
  • Chrysophyllum oliviforme^[46]
  • Chrysophyllum pauciflorum^[47]
• Manilkara
  • Manilkara bidentata^[48]
  • Manilkara excisa^[49]
  • Manilkara gonavensis^[50]
  • Manilkara jaimiqui^[51]
  • Manilkara mayarensis^[52]
  • Manilkara pleeana^[53]
  • Manilkara sideroxylon^[54]
  • Manilkara valenzuelana^[55]
• Micropholis
  • Micropholis chrysophylloides
• Pouteria
  • Pouteria multiflora
  • Pouteria sapota - Mamey sapote
• Pradosia
• Sideroxylon
  • Sideroxylon obovatum
  • Sideroxylon salicifolium

Sterculiaceae

• Guazuma ulmifolia

Theophrastaceae

• Jacquinia
  • Jacquinia armillaris
  • Jacquinia berteroi
  • Jacquinia umbellata

Verbenaceae

• Citharexylum fruticosa
• Petitia domingensis

Zamiaceae

• Zamia
  • Zamia amblyphyllidia
  • Zamia portoricensis
  • Zamia pumila (Coontie)

Zygophyllaceae

• Guaiacum
  • Guaiacum officinale (Lignum vitae)
  • Guaiacum sanctum

Non-native species

Anacardiaceae

• Mango (Mangifera indica)

Arecaceae

• Coconut (Cocos nucifera)

Bignoniaceae

• Jacaranda (Jacaranda spp.)

Casuarinaceae

• Casuarina equisetifolia

Combretaceae

• Indian almond (Terminalia catappa)

Fabaceae

• Samaan tree (Albizia saman)
• Flamboyant (Delonix regia)
• Tamarind (Tamarindus indica)

Moraceae

• Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis)
• Ficus benjamina

Sapindaceae

• Ackee (Blighia sapida)

Sapotaceae

• Manilkara zapota^[56]

Verbenaceae

• Teak (Tectona grandis)

Notes and References

1. [Norman Myers|Myers, N.]
2. Van den Eynden, V. 2006. Review of endemic plants of Trinidad and Tobago.
3. Web site: Aralia excelsa. 2008-01-03 . WCSP: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
4. Web site: Aralia rex. 2008-01-03 . WCSP: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
5. Web site: Dendropanax arboreus. 2008-01-03 . WCSP: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
6. Web site: Dendropanax blakeanus. 2008-01-03 . WCSP: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
7. Web site: Dendropanax cordifolius. 2008-01-03 . WCSP: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
8. Web site: Dendropanax cuneifolius. 2008-01-03 . WCSP: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
9. Web site: Dendropanax elongatus. 2008-01-03 . WCSP: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
10. Web site: Dendropanax filipes. 2008-01-03 . WCSP: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
11. Web site: Dendropanax grandiflorus. 2008-01-03 . WCSP: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
12. Web site: Dendropanax grandis. 2008-01-03 . WCSP: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
13. Web site: Dendropanax laurifolius. 2008-01-03 . WCSP: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
14. Web site: Dendropanax nervosus. 2008-01-03 . WCSP: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
15. Web site: Dendropanax nutans. 2008-01-03 . WCSP: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
16. Web site: Dendropanax oblanceatus. 2008-01-03 . WCSP: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
17. Web site: Dendropanax pendulus. 2008-01-03 . WCSP: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
18. Web site: Dendropanax portlandianus. 2008-01-03 . WCSP: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
19. Web site: Dendropanax selleanus. 2008-01-03 . WCSP: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
20. Web site: Dendropanax swartzii. 2008-01-03 . WCSP: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
21. Web site: Didymopanax morototoni(Aubl.) Decne. & Planch.. 13 May 2023 . Plants of the World Online.
22. Web site: Frodinia gleasonii (Britton & P.Wilson) Lowry & G.M.Plunkett . 13 May 2023 . Plants of the World Online .
23. Web site: Frodinia tremula (Krug & Urb.) Lowry & G.M.Plunkett . 13 May 2023 . Plants of the World Online .
24. Web site: Oreopanax capitatus. 2008-01-03 . WCSP: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
25. Web site: Oreopanax dussii. 2008-01-03 . WCSP: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
26. Web site: Oreopanax ramosissimus. 2008-01-03 . WCSP: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
27. Web site: Sciodaphyllum attenuatum (Sw.) Lowry, G.M.Plunkett & M.M.Mora. 13 May 2023 . Plants of the World Online.
28. Web site: Sciodaphyllum glabratum (Kunth) Lowry, G.M.Plunkett & M.M.Mora. 13 May 2023 . Plants of the World Online.
29. Web site: Sciodaphyllum brownei Spreng.. 13 May 2023 . Plants of the World Online.
30. Web site: Sciodaphyllum troyanum Urb.. 13 May 2023 . Plants of the World Online.
31. Web site: Sciodaphyllum urbanianum (Marchal ex Urb.) Lowry, G.M.Plunkett & M.M.Mora. 13 May 2023 . Plants of the World Online.
32. https://archive.today/20130802162447/http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/wcsp/namedetail.do?accepted_id=117524&repSynonym_id=-9998&name_id=117524&status=true Magnolia cristalensis
33. https://archive.today/20130802160707/http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/wcsp/namedetail.do?accepted_id=117525&repSynonym_id=-9998&name_id=117525&status=true Magnolia cubensis
34. https://archive.today/20130802160453/http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/wcsp/namedetail.do?accepted_id=117534&repSynonym_id=-9998&name_id=117534&status=true Magnolia dealbata
35. https://archive.today/20130802163055/http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/wcsp/namedetail.do?accepted_id=117548&repSynonym_id=-9998&name_id=117548&status=true Magnolia domingensis
36. https://archive.today/20130802160735/http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/wcsp/namedetail.do?accepted_id=117553&repSynonym_id=-9998&name_id=117553&status=true Magnolia ekmanii
37. https://archive.today/20130802160511/http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/wcsp/namedetail.do?accepted_id=117558&repSynonym_id=-9998&name_id=117558&status=true Magnolia emarginata
38. https://archive.today/20130802160435/http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/wcsp/namedetail.do?accepted_id=117629&repSynonym_id=-9998&name_id=117629&status=true Magnolia hamorii
39. https://archive.today/20130802160621/http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/wcsp/namedetail.do?accepted_id=117718&repSynonym_id=201427&name_id=117718&status=true Magnolia minor
40. https://archive.today/20130802161317/http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/wcsp/namedetail.do?accepted_id=117757&repSynonym_id=-9998&name_id=117757&status=true Magnolia pallescens
41. https://archive.today/20130802160432/http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/wcsp/namedetail.do?accepted_id=117780&repSynonym_id=-9998&name_id=117780&status=true Magnolia portoricensis
42. https://archive.today/20130802160908/http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/wcsp/namedetail.do?accepted_id=117848&repSynonym_id=-9998&name_id=117848&status=true Magnolia splendens
43. Berg . C.C. . Cornelis Berg . 2007 . Proposals for treating four species complexes in Ficus subgenus Urostigma section Americanae (Moraceae) . . 52 . 2. 295–312 . 10.3767/000651907x609034. 84505051 .
44. Web site: Chrysophyllum argenteum. 2008-01-04 . WCSP: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
45. Web site: Chrysophyllum cainito. 2008-01-04 . WCSP: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
46. Web site: Chrysophyllum oliviforme. 2008-01-04 . WCSP: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
47. Web site: Chrysophyllum pauciflorum. 2008-01-04 . WCSP: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
48. Web site: Manilkara bidentata. 2008-01-04 . WCSP: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
49. Web site: Manilkara excisa. 2008-01-04 . WCSP: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
50. Web site: Manilkara gonavensis. 2008-01-04 . WCSP: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
51. Web site: Manilkara jaimiqui. 2008-01-04 . WCSP: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
52. Web site: Manilkara mayarensis. 2008-01-04 . WCSP: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
53. Web site: Manilkara pleeana. 2008-01-04 . WCSP: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
54. Web site: Manilkara sideroxylon. 2008-01-04 . WCSP: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
55. Web site: Manilkara valenzuelana. 2008-01-04 . WCSP: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
56. Web site: Manilkara zapota. 2008-01-04 . WCSP: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.