Endemic Species of Virgin Islands 



Relatively few, about 26, of the 142 species of endemic 

 trees native in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands grow 

 wild in one or more of the Virgin Islands (75, p. 16-17). 

 These small islands of mostly low altitude have seasonal 

 and dry lowland forests of wide distribution. The small 

 number of local species is related to lack of isolation. 



Only 5 tree species are confined to the Virgin Islands, 

 that is, not native elsewhere, and another was found also 

 on Culebra. These species of very restricted area on 

 privately owned lands merit additional protection. One, 

 Acacia anegadensis Britton, is common locally. The 

 others are listed under list 2, Endemic Species Needing 

 Protection. Another, 552, Calyptranthes kiaerskovii 

 Krug & Urban, the only endemic of Tortola, was named 

 from a sterile specimen and has been noted under extinct 

 species. The list follows: 



354. Acacia anegadensis Britton, Anegada acacia, 

 Leguminosae, legume family. A small tree known only 

 from Anegada, British Virgin Islands, where it is com- 

 mon near the west end of that island. This distinctive 

 local species without close relatives is the only tree species 

 endemic to the British Virgin Islands alone. It was later 

 placed by its author in a segregate genus, Fishlockia. 

 (Crotonfishlockii Britton is an endemic shrub discovered 

 on Gorda Peak, Virgin Gorda. It has been found also on 

 the top of Great Camanoe, a small island near Tortola, 

 by Woodbury.) 



425. Malpighia pallens Small, stingingbush, 

 Malpighiaceae, malpighia family. St. Croix and Buck 

 Island, including Buck Island Reef National Monument. 



498. Sida eggersii E. G. Baker, Malvaceae, mallow 

 family. Tortola and Jost Van Dyke (1 tree), British Virgin 

 Islands. Collected twice on Culebra in 1906 and 1913 and 

 apparently extinct there. 



557. Calyptranthes thomasiana Berg, Myrtaceae, myr- 

 tle family. St. Thomas and Vieques. 



The 22 tree species repeated below are known only 

 from Puerto Rico and also 1 or more of the Virgin 

 Islands, as stated. The ranges may be extended slightly 

 after further field work on small islands. 



Aquifoliaceae, Holly Family 



466. Ilex urbaniana Loes., cuero de sapo. Tortola. 

 Boraginaceae, Borage Family 



674. Cordia rickseckeri Millsp., San Bartolome, man- 

 jack. Palominos, Culebra, Vieques, St. Croix, St. 

 Thomas, St. John, Jost Van Dyke, Tortola, Virgin Gor- 

 da. 



Buxaceae, Box Family 



454. Buxus vahlii Baill. St. Croix. 

 Celastraceae, Bittersweet Family 



470. Maytenus cymosa Krug & Urban. Piheros, Vie- 

 ques, St. Croix, St. Thomas, Virgin Gorda. 



Ericaceae, Heath Family 



627. Lyonia rubiginosa (Pers.) G. Don. St. Thomas. 

 Euphorbiaceae, Spurge Family 



435. Croton rigidus (Muell. Arg.) Britton, ador- 

 midera. Culebra, Culebrita, Vieques, St. Croix and Buck 

 Island, St. Thomas, St. John, Tortola, Virgin Gorda. 



Leguminosae, Legume Family 



380. Erythrina eggersii Krukoff & Moldenke, pinon 

 espinoso, cockspur. Vieques, St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. 

 John. 



88. Pictetia aculeata (Vahl) Urban, tachuelo, fustic. 

 Culebra, Vieques, St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John, Tor- 

 tola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada. 



389. Sabinea florida (Vahl) DC, retama, wattapania. 

 Culebra, Vieques, St. Thomas, St. John, Tortola, Virgin 

 Gorda. 



Malpighiaceae, Malpighia Family 



423. Malpighia infestissima (A. Juss.) A. Rich., 

 cowhage-cherry. Maguey Island, Vieques, Culebra, 

 Water Island, St. Thomas, St. John, Virgin Gorda, 

 Anegada. 



Melastomataceae, Melastome Family 



614. Miconia thomasiana DC, camasey tomaso. Tor- 

 tola. Reported and named from St. Thomas, apparently 

 in error. 



Myrtaceae, Myrtle Family 



577. Eugenia sessiliflora Vahl. Vieques, Culebra, St. 

 Croix, Water Island, St. Thomas, Tortola. Virgin Gorda. 



590. Psidium amplexicaule Pers., mountain guava. St. 

 Thomas, St. John, Tortola, Virgin Gorda. 



Nyctaginaceae, Four-o'clock Family 



317. Neea buxifolia (Hook, f.) Heimerl. Pineros, 

 Culebra, St. Thomas, St. John. 



Ochnaceae, Ochna Family 



509. Ouratea littoralis Urban, abey amarillo. 

 Thomas, Virgin Gorda. 



St. 



Palmae, Palm Family 



4. Acrocomia media O. F. Cook, cocozo, prickly- 

 palm, Puerto Rico acrocomia. St. Thomas. 



267. Coccothrinax alta (O. F. Cook) Beccari, palma 

 de abanico, tyre-palm. Vieques, Cubebra, St. Croix (3 

 trees), St. Thomas, St. John, Virgin Gorda. 



9. Roystonea borinquena O. F. Cook, palma real, 

 royal palm, Puerto Rico royalpalm. Vieques, St. Croix. 



Rhamnaceae, Buckthorn Family 



486. Reynosia guama Urban, guama. St. Thomas, St. 

 John, Jost Van Dyke, Virgin Gorda. 



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