Gum Bumelia, Chittumwood

Bumelia lanuginosa

Sapotaceae (The Sapodilla Family)

No photos available at this time.

Location on or near Missouri State University campus:  unknown

                          Bumelia lanuginosa (also Sideroxylon lanuginosum): Chittamwood, Gum Bumellia, Woolly Buckthorn

                     ·         leaves alternate, deciduous, simple, lanceolate with rounded tips and smooth margins; medium green above and lighter green to whitish and pubescent underneath

                     ·         stems thin, gray brown, tending to droop as they grow outward; may have short spines on twigs; cut twigs produce a milky sap

                     ·         bark is dark gray to brownish, with shallow furrows and flat ridges

                     ·         grows 20-40' tall in round to flat-topped canopy

                     ·         has small, white, inconspicuous, but pleasantly fragrant flowers in early summer

                     ·         produces ½” diameter or smaller blue-black berries that are attractive to wildlife

                     ·         prefers full sun and moist, fertile soils, but will grow about anywhere; slow to medium growth rate

                     ·         native to Missouri