Plant Listings

Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi

Common Name: Brazilian Pepper, Christmas-berry Tree

Family: Anacardianaceae

Habit: Schinus terebinthifolia grows as a large shrub to tree to 8 meters in height with peeling, scaly bark.  The pinnately compound leaves are arranged alternately, to 16 cm long with 7- 11 sessile leaflets. The leaflets elongate to oblong, with a notched leaf margin, acute leaf apex and to 5 cm in length. 

The actinomorphic, incomplete, imperfect, dioecious flowers are arranged in panicles in leaf axils. The calyx has 5 green, unfused sepals. The corolla has 5 white, unfused petals. In staminate flowers, there are 10 unfused stamens and a non-functional carpel. In carpellate flowers there are 10 staminodes and a superior ovary with 1 locule and 1 ovule.  The fruit is a red drupe at maturity

Habitat: Schinus terebinthifolia grows in Human Altered Environments as well as invading Fresh Water Wetlands

Distribution in Bahamas/Globally: Schinus terebinthifolia is native to South America and now grows throughout the northern Bahamian Archipelago as a Non-Native Invasive.

Medicinal/Cultural/Economic usage: Schinus terebinthifolia is not used medicinally in the Bahamas.