black-olive

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• black-olive
• Antigua whitewood
• Geometry tree
• bullet tree
• oxhorn bucida

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Buceras bucida
• Myrobalanus buceras
• Bucida buceras
• Bucida ophiticola
• Bucida palustris
• Bucida subinermis

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it is ordered under Myrtales and falls into the family Combretaceae. Finally, it is specifically identified by its genus, Terminalia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse geographical range spanning from North America into various regions of Mexico. In the Southeastern United States, its presence is specifically noted within the state of Florida. Moving into Mexico, it can be found throughout the central territories of the country. The species also extends across the Mexican Gulf coastal areas and into the Southwest. Additionally, its distribution reaches into the Southeast portion of Mexico, completing its regional footprint.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Terminalia buceras is characterized by its preference for forest environments, where it plays a role in the structural composition of its native landscape. This species thrives across a broad altitudinal gradient, spanning from sea level up to an elevation of 1000 m AMSL. By occupying this diverse elevational range, the plant adapts to varying environmental pressures found from lowland tropical settings to mid-altitude forested terrains.

Elevational range max:

1000 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

forest

Life history

The life history of Terminalia buceras is characterized by its status as a perennial organism, allowing it to maintain a long-term presence within its ecosystem through multiple growing seasons. As an evergreen species, it avoids the seasonal leaf loss seen in deciduous plants, instead maintaining a continuous canopy of foliage that supports ongoing photosynthetic activity throughout the year. This combination of a perennial lifecycle and evergreen habit enables the plant to establish a stable, enduring structure that can withstand varying environmental conditions over an extended period.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Terminalia buceras is characterized by its robust growth form as a woody tree, reaching an average height of approximately 15 m. This species is a strictly terrestrial plant, functioning as an independent organism without parasitic tendencies. Structurally, it is a self-supporting species rather than a climber or a liana, and it does not exhibit epiphytic behavior, maintaining a terrestrial existence throughout its life cycle.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height mean:

15 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Terminalia buceras is characterized by a metabolic profile consistent with many tropical woody species, utilizing a C3 photosynthetic pathway to facilitate carbon fixation through the Calvin cycle. This C3 mechanism allows the plant to process atmospheric carbon dioxide under standard environmental conditions, though it dictates specific water-use efficiencies typical of the genus. Furthermore, the plant does not function as a nitrogen fixer, meaning it lacks the symbiotic relationship with diazotrophic bacteria necessary to convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia; instead, it relies on the uptake of nitrates and ammonium from the soil to meet its nutritional requirements for protein synthesis and growth.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Terminalia buceras is driven by a biotic pollination syndrome, relying heavily on biological agents rather than abiotic factors. Specifically, the plant utilizes insect-mediated pollination, with bees serving as a primary pollinator species to facilitate fertilization. Following successful pollination, the plant produces seeds that exhibit a notable range in physical dimensions. The seed mass is highly variable, ranging from a minimum of 0.004 g to a maximum of 0.10309 g, with an overall mean seed mass recorded at 0.027987 g.

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

bee

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Seed mass max:

0.10309 g

Seed mass mean:

0.027987 g

Seed mass min:

0.004 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Terminalia buceras has 1 reported plant parts identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf.

Leaf

1. African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM

Chemicals

Terminalia buceras has 7 reported phytochemicals identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include 3-hydroxyminimiflorin, 3-methoxyminimiflorin, Buceracidin A, Buceracidin B, Clerodane Diterpenes.

3-hydroxyminimiflorin

1. Journal of natural products

3-methoxyminimiflorin

1. Journal of natural products

Buceracidin A

1. Journal of natural products

Buceracidin B

1. Journal of natural products

Clerodane Diterpenes

1. Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry letters

minimiflorin

1. Journal of natural products

mundulinol

1. Journal of natural products

Activities

Terminalia buceras has 1 reported activities identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Cytotoxic.

Cytotoxic

1. Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry letters

Preparations

Terminalia buceras has 2 reported preparations identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include Aqueous extracts, Leaf extracts.

Aqueous extracts

1. Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy
2. Journal of medical microbiology

Leaf extracts

1. African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM