Plants of the Florida Keys · Plants by Conservation Areas · Plants by Habitat
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Floristic Inventory of the Florida Keys Database Online

Crossopetalum rhacoma Crantz
Rhacoma, Maidenberry

Family: Celastraceae

Group: Dicot

Substrate: Terrestrial

Habit: Shrub

Perennation: Perennial

Native Range: Bermuda, peninsular Florida, the West Indies, Mexico and Central America.

NatureServe Global Status: Secure

State of Florida Status: Threatened

FNAI State Status: Rare

SOUTH FLORIDA Occurrence: Present

SOUTH FLORIDA Native Status: Native

IRC SOUTH FLORIDA Status: Rare

SOUTH FLORIDA Cultivated Status: Cultivated

FISF Comments: Visit our Natives For Your Neighborhood website for more information and images. For a digitized image of Elbert Little's Florida range map, visit the Exploring Florida website.

FLORIDA KEYS Occurrence: Present

FLORIDA KEYS Native Status: Native

IRC FLORIDA KEYS Status: Rare

FLORIDA KEYS Comments: First collected between 1838 and 1853 by John Loomis Blodgett on the island of Key West and on Big Pine Key.  Reported in 1913 by John Kunkel Small for coastal sand dunes and hammocks from the upper Keys to the lower Keys.  We consider this native and extant from the upper Keys to the lower Keys.

Synonyms:  Rhacoma crossopetalum.

Crossopetalum rhacoma
Copyright by: Roger L. Hammer

Other data on Crossopetalum rhacoma available from :
Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants
Crossopetalum rhacoma has been reported from the following 19 conservation areas in the FLORIDA KEYS :
Occurrence Native Status
Bahia Honda State Park Present Native
Big Torch Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
Biscayne National Park, Florida Keys Section Possibly Extirpated Possibly Extirpated
Blue Heron Hammock, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge Present Native
Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammocks Botanical State Park Present Native
Dove Creek Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge Reported
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park Present Native, Cultivated Only
Little Hamaca Park Present Native
Little Torch Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
Long Key State Park Present Native
Middle Torch Hammocks Parcel 3063, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
National Key Deer Refuge Present Native
Ramrod Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
Spoonbill Sound Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
Sugarloaf Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
Torchwood Hammock Preserve Present Native
Wahoo Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native




Crossopetalum rhacoma has been reported for the following 3 habitats in THE FLORIDA KEYS :
Coastal Berm
Pine Rockland
Rockland Hammock


All Images:

Crossopetalum rhacoma
Copyright by: Roger L. Hammer
Crossopetalum rhacoma
Copyright by: Steven W. Woodmansee