Tabebuia bahamensis

Tabebuia bahamensis Britton

Common Names: Five Finger

Habit:  Tabebuia bahamensis grows as a shrub to medium size tree up to 10 meters. Large trees develop furrowing in the bark.   Leaves arranged oppositely and are palmately compound with 3 or 5 leaflets.  Leaflet margin is entire.

The complete, perfect, zygomorphic flowers occur in panicles.  The calyx has 5 lobes covered with brown hairs.  The corolla has 5 ,white to pink to dark pink, lobes.  There are 4 stamens fused to the corolla. The fruit is a capsule to 12 cm long and the seeds are winged.

Habitat: Tabebuia bahamensis occurs in Dry Broadleaf Evergreen Formations – Forest/Shrublands (coppice) and Pine Woodlands on both a limestone or sand substrate with good drainage.

Distribution: Tabebuia bahamensis occurs through out the Lucayan Archipelago as well as in Cuba and south Florida.

Medicinal/Cultural/Economic usage: Tabebuia bahamensis has been used on all islands for a number of bush medicine remedies including strengthening (aches and pains) and aphrodisiac teas,  gastrointestinal issues, circulatory problems and respiratory troubles.  It is also used in the horticultural trade.