Breakbill

Scientific name: Sideroxylon obovatum

POWO Status: Shrub or Tree

IUCN Red List threat level: Least Concern

GPS Location: 17° 42′ 55.20″ N, 64° 49′ 45.51″ W

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Medicinal Uses

Various species of the Sideroxylon genus are used in traditional medicine for a range of ailments. Specific medicinal uses of Sideroxylon obovatum itself in folk medicine include treating stomach aches, chest pains, lumbago, and sprue. 

Traditional Medicinal Uses

Different parts of the plant are prepared in various ways for traditional remedies:

  • Leaves: A decoction (an extract made by boiling plant material in water) of the leaves is traditionally used to treat stomach aches and chest pains. A poultice (a soft, moist mass applied to the body) of the leaves is also used as a treatment for lumbago (lower back pain).
  • Bark: The bark is chewed traditionally as a treatment against sprue, a digestive condition. 

Related Species Uses and Scientific Research

While research directly on S. obovatum is limited in the provided snippets, studies on related species within the Sideroxylon genus offer insights into the genus’s potential medicinal properties: 

  • Sideroxylon obtusifolium: In Brazilian folk medicine, infusions of the leaves and bark are widely used as an anti-inflammatory remedy and for wound healing. Scientific studies have revealed anti-inflammatory, analgesic (pain-relieving), and antioxidant properties in extracts of its bark.
  • Sideroxylon inerme: The bark and roots of this species have medicinal value and are used in traditional South African medicine to treat ailments such as fevers, broken bones, and gall sickness in livestock. The bark is also used to treat burns, wounds, venereal diseases, tapeworms, and toothaches.
  • Sideroxylon lycioides: This species is used in traditional medicine to treat various ailments, including colds, flu, and digestive problems.

Observations:

Phenological Markers – Sideroxylon obovatum (False Mastic / Bullwood)

Family: Sapotaceae
Common Names: False Mastic, Bullwood, Wild Mastic (not to be confused with Sideroxylon foetidissimum)
Habitat: Native to the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and parts of the Greater and Lesser Antilles. Found in dry to moist forests, often on limestone ridges or coastal hillsides.

Phenological Markers:

  • Flowering Period:
    Typically flowers from late spring to early summer (May to July), often after new leaf flush. Flowers are small, greenish-white, and occur in short clusters in leaf axils.
  • Fruiting Period:
    Fruits develop and mature from late summer through early winter (September to December). The fruit is a small, round black or purple drupe with a single seed.
  • Leaf Fall:
    Evergreen to semi-evergreen. May shed some leaves during prolonged dry periods (February to April) but generally maintains foliage year-round in moist conditions.
  • Budding Period:
    New leaves and buds emerge in early spring (March to May), often in anticipation of flowering.

Key Features:

  • Leaves: Simple, alternate, obovate to elliptic, leathery, and glossy green with slightly lighter undersides. New leaves may be reddish.
  • Flowers: Small, inconspicuous, cream to pale green, fragrant, and pollinated by small insects.
  • Fruits: Round, fleshy drupes (1–2 cm), darkening to black or purple when ripe; consumed by birds and small mammals.

Additional Notes:

  • Sideroxylon obovatum is a native hardwood valuable for its dense, strong timber, though not commonly harvested due to slow growth.
  • The tree plays an important role in dry forest ecosystems and supports local wildlife through its fruit.
  • It is sometimes confused with Sideroxylon foetidissimum (also called False Mastic), but S. obovatum is typically smaller, with less pungent foliage and a more shrub-like habit when young.
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