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. 

Schinus terebinthifolia is dioecious. The incomplete, imperfect, actinomorphic 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: Schinus terebinthifolia is NOT native to the Lucayan Archipelago. It is native to South America. It now grows throughout the northern Lucayan Archipelago as a Non-Native Invasive.

Medicinal/Cultural/Economic usage: Schinus terebinthifolia is not known to be used medicinally in the Lucayan Archipelago.

It should be removed from any habitat/location it is observed.