Gouania lupuloides

Gouania lupuloides (L.) Urb.

Common Names: Chew Stick

Family: Rhamnaceae

Habit: Gouania lupuloides grows as a glabrous woody vine/liana up to 12 m in length with tendrils at leaf axils. The leaves are arranged alternately, to 8 cm in length, glabrous or slightly pubescent, ovate to elliptic with an acute/acuminate leaf apex and a serrate leaf margin toward the apex.

The complete, perfect, actinomorphic flowers are arranged in terminal racemes. The calyx has 5 unfused, pubescent sepals.  There are 5 white, unfused petals. There are 5 stamens alternate with the petals.  The ovary is superior with 3 locules. Around the base of the ovary is a nectary disc.  The fruit is a winged schizocarp at maturity.

Habitat: Gouania lupuloides grows in coastal Dry Broadleaf Evergreen Formations – Forest/Shrublands (coppice, scrublands), and Dunes.

Distribution: Gouania lupuloides occurs on northern island groupings in the Lucayan Archipelago, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America, Florida.

Medicinal/Cultural/Economic usage: Gouania lupuloides is not known to have been used medicinally in the Lucayan Archipelago.