Geobalanus oblongifolius, commonly known as gopher apple,[1] is an evergreen shrub. It grows in America within the sandhills of peninsular Florida as well as coastal Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, South Carolina and Georgia.[2]
| Geobalanus oblongifolius | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Chrysobalanaceae |
| Genus: | Geobalanus |
| Species: | G. oblongifolius
|
| Binomial name | |
| Geobalanus oblongifolius (Michx.) Small
| |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Its fruit is eaten by wildlife and is being used in cancer research.[3] The fruit is a food source for the gopher tortoise and many other species of wildlife.
It was originally published as Licania michauxii by British botanist G.T. Prance in J. Arnold Arbor. vol. 51 on page 526 in 1970.[1] It was renamed as Geobalanus oblongifolius by (Michx.) Small and re-published in Fl. Miami: 81 (1913).[2] Although it is still known by its former name in some sources.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Taxon: Licania michauxii Prance". Grin. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ a b "Geobalanus oblongifolius (Michx.) Small | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
- ^ "Gopher Apple". Archived from the original on 2008-07-24. Retrieved 2011-05-04.
Other sources
edit- Prance, G. T. 1972. Chrysobalanaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 9:42-43.
- Wunderlin, R. P. 1998. Guide to the vascular plants of Florida
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