PO Box 9021, Wilmington, DE 19809, USA E-mail: font@focusonnature.com Phone: Toll-free in USA 1-800-721-9986  or 302/529-1876

Hispaniolan
Plant Life 

with those during 
Focus On Nature Tours
in the Dominican Republic
noted with an (*) 

1990 thru 2014

during the months of January,
February, March, April, July,
& December

This list compiled by Armas Hill 



Upper right photo: some of the plants, with ferns and fiddleheads, 
at about 7,500 feet above sea level in the Cordillera Central in the Dominican Republic  
(photographed during a FONT tour by Rise Hill) 


There have been 18 FONT birding & nature tours in the Dominican Republic. 

African Tulip Trees were introduced in the Dominican Republic years ago.
Here, a large group of them in bloom in the northern hills of Hispaniola.
 

      
Links:

A Photo Gallery of Dominican Republic Plant Life,
including some about a male and a half above sea level & some below sea level

A List & Photo Gallery of Caribbean Birds, in 2 Parts

Butterflies & Moths of the Caribbean  (with some photos)

Nature in the Dominican Republic, including: Mammals, Amphibians, Reptiles,
Snails, Crabs, Butterflies & Moths, Dragonflies & Damselflies, and Others

Upcoming FONT Birding & Nature Tours in the Caribbean

Directory of Photos in this Website

A List of Selected Plant-life of Hispaniola:

       
      Plants in the HIGHLANDS 
       where there are mountains as high as over 10,000 feet above sea level    

1. Hispaniolan Pine (or Pino Criollo) (He) (*) ______  (common in lateritic soils)    
   Pinus occidentalis
   
   
2. Sabina ______  
   Juniperus gracilior 
   
   
3. Podocarpus aristulatus (or buchii)  ______
   
   
4. Cara de Hombre  ______
   Lyonia spp.
   
   
5. Abey  ______  
   Cojoba arborea 
   
   
6. Yaya Fina  ______  
   Oxandra lanceolata
   
   
7. Pajon  ______ 
   Danthonia domingensis 
   
   
8. Verbena officinalis   ______
   
    
9. Weinmannia pinnata  ______ 
   
   
   In the highlands, as elsewhere, in wet forests, trees are covered with parasitic plants and epiphytes.
   
   At higher elevations, characteristic species are:
   
   
10. Trembling Schefflera  ______
    Scheflera tremula
    
    
11. Black Sapote  ______
    diospyros digyna
    
    
12. Almendron  ______
    Prunus occidentalis
    
    
13. Fadyen's Silktassel  ______
    Garrya fadyenii
    
    
14. Oreopanax capitatus  ______
    
    
15. Brunellia comocladifolia  ______
    
    
16. Cyathea spp.  ______  
    
    
    Some Characteristic Lowland Plants  of HISPANIOLAN MOIST FORESTS     
    
    
17. Haitian Catalpa  ______ 
    Catallpa longissima    
    
    
18. West Indian Mahogony  ______ 
    Swietenia mahagoni  
    
    
19. Puerto Rican Royal Palm  (ph)  ______  (common where the soil is calcareous)
    Roystonea borinquena
    
    
    
    A lone Royal Palm along the north coast of the Dominican Republic
    (photographed during a FONT tour in February 2012)       
    
    
20. Paradise Tree  ______      
    Simarouba glauca 
    
    
21. Anon de Majagua  ______ 
    Lonchocarpus heptaphyllus 
    
    
22. Jagua  ______   
    Genipa americana    
    
    
23. Black Olive  ______ 
    Bucida buceras  
    
    
24. West Indian Lancewood  ______      
    Oxandra lanceolata  
    
    
25. Amacey  ______    
    Tetragastris balsamifera 
    
    
    As isolated trees, or with them, these are found: 
    
    
26. Fustic   ______ 
    Maclura tinctoria  
    
      
27. Logwood  ______       
    Haematoxylum campechianum   
    
    
28. Iris  ______  
    Hippeastrum punicetum    
    
    
29. Caracoli  ______  
    Abarema glauca     
     
    
30. Corbano  ______  
    Albizia berteriana     
    
    
31. West Indian Elm   ______
    Guazuma ulmifolia 
    
    
32. Palo de Leche  ______
    Rauvolfia nitida   
    
    
33. Spiny Fiddlewood  ______
    Citharexylum spinosum 
    
    
    Where soils are poor or in savannas that have formed from degraded forest:  
    
    
34. Sandpaper Tree  ______
    Curatella americana 
     
    
35. Grandleaf Seagrape  ______  
    Coccoloba pubescens 
    
    
36. Jamaica Nettletree  ______  
    Trema micrantha 
    
    
37. Tabebula spp.  ______    
    
    
38. Cashew  (ph)  _____  (where there is marginal earth and with precipitation closer to that of dry forests)   
    Anacardium occidentale
    
    
    
    The fruit on a Cashew Tree photographed during a FONT tour 
    (photo by Marie Gardner)
    
    
    Plants that grow in Mesic forests: 
      
    
39. Yellow Oliver  ______
    Buchenavia capitata 
    
    
40. Sablito ______  
    Schefflera morototoni   
     
    
41. Maricao  ______
    Byrsonima spicata
    
    
42. Aguacatillo  ______
    Alchornea latifolia
    
    
43. West Indian Cherry  ______
    Prunus myrtifolia
    
    
44. Arbol de Santa Maria  ______
    Calophyllum basiliense
    
    
45. Cocuyo  ______
    Hirtella triandra
    
    
46. American Muskwood  ______
    Guarrea guidonia
    
    
47. Palo de Yagua  ______
    Casearia arborea
    
    
48. locust  ______
    Hymenaea courbaril
    
    
49. Balata  ______
    Manilkara domingensis
    
    
50. Sierra Palm  ______
    Prestoea montana  
    
    
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