_________________________________________________________________
| NAMES |
|
| Family |
Boraginaceae (Borage Family) |
| Genus Species |
Ehretia anacua (Terán & Berl.) I.M. Johnst |
| Synonyms |
Ehretia elliptica, Gaza anacua |
| Common Names |
Anacua, Sugarberry Anacua, Anaqua, Anacahuita, Knockaway, Knackaway, Sandpaper tree, Manzanita, Manzanillo, Tlalahuacate |
| Etymology |
The name Anacua is from Anacahuite, a Mexican name for this and related species. That word is from two others of the Nahuatl language of the Aztecs meaning paper (amatl) and tree (cuahuitl), perhaps referring to the scaly peeling bark. The English name Knockaway is a corruption from the same source. [1] |
| Names Comments |
|
| Names Notes |
|
| DESCRIPTION |
|
| Duration |
evergreen or partly deciduous northward tree, |
| Habit |
Tree |
| Size |
20-50 ft |
| Leaves |
4 1/2 inches long, mostly smaller, ovate or narrower, upper surface rough, margins smooth, tip pointed. Dark Green. The new leaves are actually soft and a little bit velvety, the rough sandpaper texture develops and increases as the leaf matures. |
| Leaf Retention |
|
| Flowers |
clusters at the ends of the branchlets, fragrant, hermaphrodite, |
| Flower Colors |
white, |
| Bloom Time |
Spring, Summer, Fall |
| Fruit |
fleshy, spherical, up to 5/16 inch in diameter, orange to dark yellow, yellow to red two-seeded berries., about 8mm (0.315 inches) in diamete |
| Seeds |
this species has four-seeded drupe [10] |
| Thorns or Spines |
|
| Stems and Trunk |
often with suckers or multiple trunks |
| Bark |
Older trees have reddish, flaking bark and gnarled, stocky appearance. [1] |
| Roots |
|
| Similar To |
|
| Description Comments |
|
| Description Notes |
|
| LOCATION |
|
| Distribution |
|
| County |
Cameron, Hidalgo, Willacy, Starr |
| USDA Profile |
EHAN |
| USDA Hardy Zone |
|
| Native to Area |
Central. & South TX, south to Chiapas in southern Mexico |
| RGV Sightings |
|
| On Display |
|
| Location Comments |
|
| Location Notes |
Resaca de la Palma State Park, Cameron, Rio Grande Valley, Texas |
| PROPAGATION |
|
| Water Requirement |
Low |
| Light Requirement |
Sun , Part Shade, It does not grow in full shade |
| Soil Moisture |
Dry |
| Soil Type |
.Well-drained, alkaline soils. Sandy, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam, Clay Loam, Clay. |
| Habitat |
Thickets, Open woodlands, Chaparral & brush country, Fence rows |
| Propagation Comments |
Germinates readily from fresh seed, however germination rates are more uniform if the seed has been stratified. Will root from juvenile wood, suckers or softwood cuttings. Seed Collection: Gather seeds in late summer when fruit has turned orange or reddish. Pulp may be removed or dried on seeds. Store dried seeds in sealed, refrigerated containers. Seed Treatment: Stratify in moist sand for 30 days at 41 degrees. [1] |
| Propagation Notes |
|
| USES |
Attractive, Aromatic, Showy, Blooms ornamental. Deep shade; spring blooms look like the tree is covered with snow; unusual mature trunks look like several corded trunks have been bound together. [1] |
| Commercial |
|
| Ornamental |
|
| Garden |
|
| Hedges |
|
| Lawn |
|
| Exotic |
|
| Uses Comments |
Quite popular as an indoor bonsai. Ehretia anacua, a recent addition to bonsai, is more resistant to heat and drought [1] |
| LEGAL STATUS |
|
| Invasive |
|
| Pest |
|
| Endangered |
|
| Legal Notes |
|
| ETHNOBOTANY |
The Anacua tree has many branches that bear berries that are good for a cough. [Petras Legacy: The South Texas Ranching Empire of Petra Vela and Mifflin Kenedy]
Properties: Astringent, antiseptic, sedative, analgesic, antipyretic, febrifuge. Used to treat: Ringworm, fungal problems, rough skin, boils, abscesses, fever, excitability. [Antonio Noe Zavaleta, PH.D., MEDICINAL PLANTS OF THE BORDERLANDS: A Bilingual Resource Guide]
Ehretia anacua (Terán & Berland.) I. M. Johnst., MG 322 Anacua Leaves for Bunions and dewclaws [Ethnobotany in Rayones, Nuevo Leon, Mexico researchgate.net] |
| Folk Wisdom |
|
| Edible |
fruit is edible, Yellowish orange fruit are sweet and good for jams |
| Symbolism or Ceremonial |
|
| Poisonous |
|
| Fuel |
|
| Construction |
|
| Wood |
served for fenceposts and tool handles |
| Fibers |
|
| Oil |
|
| Soap |
|
| Wax |
|
| Dye |
|
| Chemicals |
|
| Solvents |
|
| Adhesives |
|
| Reactants |
|
| Fluids |
|
| Alcohol |
|
| Fragrance |
|
| Utility Comments |
|
| Utility Notes |
|
| DOMESTIC ANIMAL USE |
|
| Horses |
|
| Cattle |
|
| Sheep |
|
| Goat |
|
| Swine |
|
| Domestic Animal Comments |
|
| Domestic Animal Notes |
|
| WILDLIFE USE |
consume the fruit, Fruits attract mammals. |
| Deer |
|
| Predators |
|
| Small Mammals |
|
| Rodents |
|
| Birds |
Fruits attract numerous birds. |
| Butterflies |
|
| Insects |
Blossoms attract honeybees. Nectar-insects, The exclusive host for larvae and adults of the Anacua Tortoise Beetle (Coptocycla texana). [1] |
| Reptiles |
|
| Worms |
|
| Wildlife Notes |
|
| Wildlife Comments |
|
| Field Notes |
|
| References |
[1] Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Merremia dissecta id_plant=EHAN Retrieved 02/03/2016
[10] Alfred Richardson & Ben King 2011 Texas A&M University Press, Plants of Deep South Texas; pp 143.
|
| Photography Credits |
John Wagman 02/04/2016 |
| Photo GPS |
|
| Sort Category |
|
| Contributors |
|
| Links |
|
|
Family: Boraginaceae (Borage Family)
Genus Species: Ehretia anacua (Terán & Berl.) I.M. Johnst
Synonyms: Ehretia elliptica, Gaza anacua
Common Names: Anacua, Sugarberry Anacua, Anaqua, Anacahuita, Knockaway, Knackaway, Sandpaper tree, Manzanita, Manzanillo, Tlalahuacate
Images of Ehretia anacua (Terán & Berl.) I.M. Johnst
|
- 
