Tropicals, Woody > Calyptranthes > Calyptranthes thomasiana > Calyptranthes thomasiana
Calyptranthes thomasiana
Thomas' Lidflower
Origin: Calyptranthes thomasiana in the Myrtaceae family is a rare species of plant. It can be found on three islands in the Caribbean. Less than 250 individual plants are among the islands of St. John in the United States Virgin Islands, Vieques in Puerto Rico and Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands. It was first described in 1855 in the wild on Saint Thomas, United States Virgin Islands but has since been eradicated and only grows there in cultivation.
Mike's
Opinion
"
Michael Pascoe, NDP., ODH., CLT., MSc. (Plant Conservation)
"
| Family |
| Myrtaceae |
| Genus |
| Calyptranthes |
| Species |
| thomasiana |
| Category |
| Tropicals, Woody |
| Type |
| Tree (evergreen), Shrub (evergreen) |
| Height |
| 10 m |
Photographs
Cultivars
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Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| Calyptranthes thomasiana is an evergreen shrub or small tree, that can reach 10 meters in height. It has oppositely arranged leaves with oval blades 2 to 4 cm in length, that are shiny green and glandular. The plant is naturally rare but habitat loss has directly contributed to its decline. |
| Cultivation |
| Found in dry to moist forests. |
| Pests |
| Activity on nearby roads, feral pigs, donkeys and goats pose as threats. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description |
| Egg-shaped with a pointed tip. |
| Leaf Description |
| Oppositely arranged leaves with oval blades 2 to 4 cm in length, that are shiny green, glandular and leathery on the upper surface but dull on the lower, rounded at the tip. |
| Flower Description |
| Flowers have four spoon shaped petals and grow in clusters or inflorescences. Forming at the tip of a growing stem and on the branches below. |
| Fruit Description |
| Contains one or two seeds. |
| Colour Description |
| Leaves are shiny green on the upper surface but a dull green on the lower. |
| Texture Description |
| Leaves are leathery in texture. |
| Notable Specimens |
| British Virgin Islands on the island of Tortola within the Sage Mountain National Park. Ex situ collections at the J.R. O’Neal Botanic Gardens. |
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