About ThisTree
COMBRETACEAE (Indian Almond & Ketapang family)
Spiny Black Olive is a small, low and picturesque spreading plant growing to a height of around 4 feet. Its leaves are light green and variegated while new leaves are bronze-coloured. The behaviour of branching of this tree is similar to those of Terminalia catappa (Ketapang). The characteristic of the twigs are growing densely in storeys on whorls around the trunk. Flowers are yellow and insignificant, followed by clusters of tiny brown fruits. Its stem equipped with spines, thus giving its the name, Bucida spinosa (Note that B. molineti & B. spinosa is the same species but of different names).
© TechieOldFox
Common Uses
The tiered branches make it popular to be planted as ornamentals in gardens and as a bonsai plant. Since the dry wood from this species is termite-resistant, it is suitable to be used in construction of house and fence, scaffolding, rail-road ties and pilings. The bark contains tanning agent. Medicinally, mixed bark of B. molineti with bark of mangrove Rhizophora mangle is believed to help stop bleeding.
Interesting Facts!
Identifying this species might be easy, but if you do image search of Bucida buceras (var.) or Terminalia mantaly ‘Tricolor’, you will have a hard day thinking which is which and why is it very similar to each other. One reason to that is because of a group of people called horticulturist. Check the stem of the tree you are looking at, if there are spines on it, most probably it is Spiny Black Olive. The latter two have smooth, spineless stems.
References:
http://fshs.org/proceedings-o/1993-vol-106/338-342%20(MORTON).pdf (B. buceras)
https://florafaunaweb.nparks.gov.sg/Special-Pages/plant-detail.aspx?id=2763 (T. mantaly ‘Tricolor’)
https://livingearthscape.wordpress.com/2010/10/24/bucida-molineti/
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Trees of UM 