Terminalia is a genus of large trees of the flowering plant family Combretaceae, comprising nearly 300 species distributed in tropical regions of the world. The genus name derives from the Latin word terminus, referring to the fact that the leaves appear at the very tips of the shoots.

Axlewood (T. latifolia) is used for its wood and tannins and as a fodder.Heuzé V., Tran G., 2016. Axlewood (Anogeissus latifolia). Feedipedia, a programme by INRA, CIRAD, AFZ and FAO. https://www.feedipedia.org/node/186 Last updated on March 22, 2016, 14:20 African birch (T. leiocarpa) is used for its wood and to make yellow dye and medicinal compounds.Heuzé V., Tran G., Renaudeau D., Bastianelli D., 2016. African birch (Anogeissus leiocarpa). Feedipedia, a programme by INRA, CIRAD, AFZ and FAO. https://www.feedipedia.org/node/701 Last updated on March 15, 2016, 11:53 A yellow dyestuff produced from the leaves of T. leiocarpa has traditionally been used in West Africa to dye leather.

Selected species

There are 278 accepted Terminalia species as of July 2024 according to Plants of the World Online. Selected species include:

Terminalia acuminata (Fr. Allem.) Eichl. Terminalia albida Scott-Elliot Terminalia amazonia (J.F.Gmel.) Exell – white olive Terminalia anogeissiana – axlewood Terminalia arbuscula Sw. Terminalia archipelagi Coode Terminalia arenicola Terminalia arjuna (Roxb. ex DC.) Wight & Arn. – arjuna, koha, white marudah Terminalia arostrata Ewart & O.B.Davies – crocodile tree Terminalia australis Cambess – palo amarillo, tanimbú Terminalia avicennioides Terminalia bellirica (Gaertn.) Roxb. – beleric Terminalia bentii Terminalia bialata (Roxb.) Steud. – Indochina, Philippines Terminalia buceras Terminalia bucidoides Standley & L.O.Williams Terminalia bursarina – Bendee Terminalia calamansanai (Blanco) Rolfe Terminalia cambodiana Terminalia canescens (DC.) Radlk. – jalool Terminalia carolinensis Kaneh. Terminalia catappa L. – Indian almond, tropical almond, umbrella tree Terminalia chebula Retz. – black myrobalan, chebulic myrobalan, inknut Terminalia cherrieri McKee Terminalia circumalata F.Muell. Terminalia cunninghamii C.A.Gardner – Pindan quondong Terminalia dhofarica Terminalia eddowesii Coode Terminalia engleri Gere & Boatwr. – terenifù (West Africa to Cameroon) Terminalia elliptica Willd. – Indian-laurel Terminalia eriostachya A.Rich. Terminalia ferdinandiana Exell – billygoat plum, Kakadu plum, gubinge Terminalia fitzgeraldii C.A.Gardner Terminalia glabrata Terminalia grandiflora Benth. Terminalia hadleyana W.Fitzg. Terminalia ivorensis A.Chev. – idigbo, black afara, blackbark, brimstone wood, shingle wood Terminalia januariensis DC. Terminalia kaernbachii Warb. – okari nut Terminalia kangeanensis Slooten – Kangean almond Terminalia kuhlmannii Alwan & Stace Terminalia kumpaja R.L.Barrett Terminalia latifolia Sw. Terminalia latipes Benth. Terminalia leiocarpa Terminalia littoralis L. Terminalia macroptera Guill. & Perr. Terminalia megalocarpa Exell Terminalia microcarpa Decne. Terminalia muelleri Benth. – Australian almond Terminalia myriocarpa Terminalia neotaliala – Madagascar almond tree Terminalia nitens C.Presl; sakat (in Philippines) Terminalia novocaledonica Däniker Terminalia oblongata F.Muell. Terminalia paniculata Roth Terminalia parviflora Thwaites Terminalia pellucida C.Presl Terminalia pendula (incorporating T. phillyreifolia) Terminalia petiolaris Benth. – marool Terminalia platyphylla F.Muell. Terminalia platyptera F.Muell. Terminalia polycarpa Terminalia porphyrocarpa Terminalia prunioides Terminalia reitzii Excell Terminalia rerei Coode Terminalia richii A.Gray Terminalia rostrata Terminalia schimperiana Hochst. Terminalia sericea Burch. ex DC. – silver terminalia Terminalia superba Engl. & Diels – limba Terminalia triptera (syn. T. nigrovenulosa ) Terminalia volucris Benth.

References