Search / Plant Profile / Bourreria cassinifolia

Plant Profile

Smooth Strongbark (Bourreria cassinifolia)

Global Rank: G3 - Vulnerable
Legal Status: N/A
Family: Ehretiaceae
State: FL
Nature Serve ID: 159351
Lifeform: Tree, Shrub
Date Inducted in National Collection:

Description:

Bourreria cassinifolia, also known as pineland strongbark or pineland strongback, is a 3-10 foot tall evergreen shrub with small, scabrous, oval leaves and small white flowers with 5 petals. The fleshy orange fruit round, with up to 5 seeds.

Where is Smooth Strongbark (Bourreria cassinifolia) located in the wild?

Habitat:

B. cassinifolia is native to the pine rocklands of South Florida (Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties) which are threatened by habitat loss, fire suppression and invasive non-native plants. I

Distribution:

Aside from Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties, B. cassinifolia is also found in Cuba, where it is relatively widespread (Gann et al. 2017).

States & Provinces:

Smooth Strongbark can be found in Florida

Which CPC Partners conserve Smooth Strongbark (Bourreria cassinifolia)?

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

Not Sponsored

Conservation Actions

Assigned 06/09/17

Naples Botanical Garden

Not Sponsored

Conservation Actions

Assigned 03/02/23

CPC's Plant Sponsorship Program provides long term stewardship of rare plants in our National Collection. We are so grateful for all our donors who have made the Plant Sponsorship Program so successful. We are in the process of acknowledging all our wonderful plant sponsorship donors on our website. This is a work in progress and will be updated regularly.

Conservation Actions

Tina Stanley

05/11/2023

According to a March 2023 extract of the Florida Plant Rescue Database, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden holds 2 accessions of Bourreria cassinifolia totalling approximately 946 seeds representing 17 maternal lines.

Tina Stanley

05/11/2023

According to a March 2023 extract of the Florida Plant Rescue Database, Naples Botanical Garden holds 6 accessions of Bourreria cassinifolia.

10/11/2020

Fairchild has investigated numerous seed dormancy breaking methods but, to date, we have not developed an effective method. Our highest germination rates were generally in the 20-30% range.

10/11/2020

Fairchild maintains a small ex situ collection of B. cassinifolia in the nursery and in the main garden (typically 10-20 individuals).

J. Possley

11/14/2017

Threats to B. cassinifolia in South Florida include habitat loss and fire suppresion. In the Florida Keys, sea level rise is an imminent threat. Invasive species and the dangers of off-target damage during invasive species treatments or hardwood reduction are a concern. Many populations in Miami-Dade grown on the edges of fire breaks. Infrequent mowing is not likely to destroy plants but frequent mowing or scraping with heavy equipment are threats.

J. Possley

11/14/2017

Fairchild has investigated numerous seed dormancy breaking methods but, to date, we have not developed an effective method. Our highest germination rates were generally in the 20-30% range.

J. Possley

11/14/2017

Fairchild maintains a small ex situ collection of B. cassinifolia in the nursery and in the main garden (typically 10-20 individuals). Plants in the garden frequently produce seedlings, which we occasionally collect to distribute to Miami-Dade homeowners.

Nature Serve Biotics

05/02/2017

Bourreria cassinifolia occurs in part of the Caribbean and ranges into southern peninsular Florida (two counties), where it is rare (Wunderlin 1998).