Terminalia

Plant Characteristics
Habit		tree
Lifespan:	⌛	perennial

Cultivation

Scientific Names
Combretaceae >	Terminalia >				L. >

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Terminalia is a genus of large trees of the flowering plant family, Combretaceae, comprising around 100 species distributed in tropical regions of the world. This genus gets it name from Latin terminus, referring to the fact that the leaves appear at the very tips of the shoots.

Trees of this genus are known especially as a source of secondary metabolites, e.g. cyclic triterpenes and their derivatives, flavonoids, tannins, and other aromatics. Some of these substances have antifungal, antibacterial, anti-cancer and hepatoprotective indications.

Read about Terminalia in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture
Terminalia (alluding to the leaves being borne upon the terminus of the shoot). Combretaceae. Only one species, T. Catappa, the Indian almond or tropical almond, is well known in American horticulture, but several others are important in the Orient, principally for their fruits, known as myrobalans, which are used in dyeing, tanning, and in medicine. Leaves alternate, or rarely opposite, often crowded toward the ends of the branchlets, usually petiolate and entire: fls. sessile or nearly so, small, hermaphrodite or polygamo-dioecious, usually in elongated spikes but sometimes in heads; calyx-tube ovoid or cylindrical, constricted above the ovary, the limb urn-shaped or campanulate, 5-toothed, usually deciduous; petals none; stamens 10, in 2 series, the 5 inferior opposite the calyx-teeth, the 5 superior longer, alternating with the teeth; filaments exserted, subulate or filiform; anthers small, the lobes scarcely connected; ovary unilocular, style subulate, often villous at base, stigma simple; ovules 2, rarely 3: fr. a drupe, ovoid, angular, compressed or 2-5-winged, 1-seeded, the cotyledons convolute.—A genus of about 100 species distributed throughout the tropics, principally in S. Asia, with only a few in Amer. T. Arjuna, Bedd., a large tree indigenous to Cent. and S. India, and cult. in other parts of the country, has recently been intro. to the U. S. and is doing finely in S. Fla. The bark is sometimes used in dyeing and tanning, according to Watt, and also in native medicine. —T. australis, Cambess., Brazil and Argentina, has been intro. in S. Calif.: described as a medium-sized and very rapid-growing tree of symmetrical shape, suitable for street planting: lvs. small for the genus, lanceolate, acute or obtuse, shining above: fls. in roundish congested long-peduncled heads: drupe glabrous, ovate-lanceolate, beaked, with plicate margin.—T. Bellerica, Roxbg., the beleric myrobalan, a large tree found throughout the forests of India, Burma, and other parts of S. Asia, yields a fr. which is exported from India for use in tanning. The kernels are eaten in India, but are said by Watt to cause intoxication if taken in excess. —T. Benzoe, Pers., properly T. angustifolia, Jacq., has recently been intro. to S. Fla., and promises to succeed. It is a handsome tree with narrow lvs., indigenous to Malaya.—Under the name of T. edulis, Blanco, a plant has recently been intro. to the U. S. from the Philippines which is probably T. Bellerica. It is doing well in S. Fla. and promises to be an unusually handsome ornamental. Barrett says of it "this magnificent large forest tree occurs, not very commonly, in the provinces of Bataan and Cavite (Philippines). In the rainy season abundant crops of cherry-like frs., about 2-3 cm. in diam., are produced. Each fr. contains 1 seed surrounded by sweet pulp somewhat resembling that of the duhat (Eugenia jambolana) in flavor. The pulp with the addition of lemon or some other acid juice makes a beautifully colored jelly." The tree is known as "calompit" in the Philippines. ^CH The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.