About Colubrina elliptica (Sw.) Brizicky & W.L.Stern
Colubrina elliptica (Sw.) Brizicky & W.L.Stern produces fruits the size of peppercorns. When ripe, these fruits explode, shooting seeds several feet away, and the explosions make a sound similar to musket fire. This characteristic gives the species its common name "soldierwood". It also has another common name, "nakedwood", which comes from its smooth bark that peels. According to the American Forests Register of Champion Trees, this tree can grow to be very large: it can reach a trunk circumference of 33 inches, a height of 47 feet, and a crown spread of 26 feet. This tree is noted for both its size and the critical ecosystem services it provides. These services include supplying food and shelter for wildlife, purifying water, absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and storing carbon in its wood. Colubrina elliptica is a saponin-containing plant that is widely distributed across the Caribbean region. In this region, its bark is used to make bitter beverages, and it is used in folk medicine to treat skin diseases. The bark and leaves of this plant, which is called mabi in this context, are used to create mauby, a popular Caribbean drink.
