# Xylosma

Xylosma /zaɪˈlɒzmə/ is a genus of flowering plants in the family Salicaceae. It contains around 100 species of evergreen shrubs and trees commonly known as brushhollies, xylosmas, or, more ambiguously, "logwoods". The generic name is derived from the Greek words ξύλον (xylon), meaning "wood, tree", and ὀσμή (osmé), meaning "smell", referring to the fragrant wood of some of the species. The Takhtajan system places it in the family Flacourtiaceae, which is considered defunct by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group.

## Description

The leaves are alternate, simple, entire or finely toothed, 2–10 cm (0.79–3.94 in) long. The flowers are small, yellowish, produced on racemes 1–3 cm (0.39–1.18 in) long, usually dioecious, and have a strong scent. The fruit is a small purple-black berry 5–10 mm (0.20–0.39 in) in diameter that contains 2 to 8 seeds.

## Species

As of February 2023, Plants of the World Online accepted the following species:
* Xylosma acunae Borhidi & O.Muñiz
* Xylosma avilae Sleumer
* Xylosma bahamensis (Britton) Standl. – Bahamas xylosma (The Bahamas)
* Xylosma benthamii (Tul.) Triana & Planch.
* Xylosma bernardiana Sleumer
* Xylosma boliviana Sleumer
* Xylosma boulindae Sleumer (New Caledonia)
* Xylosma brachystachys Craib
* Xylosma buxifolia A.Gray – boxleaf xylosma (the Caribbean)
* Xylosma capillipes Guillaumin (New Caledonia)
* Xylosma characantha Standl.
* Xylosma chiapensis Lundell
* Xylosma chlorantha Donn.Sm.
* Xylosma ciliatifolia (Clos) Eichler
* Xylosma cinerea (Clos) Hemsl.
* Xylosma claraensis Urb.
* Xylosma confusa Guillaumin
* Xylosma congesta (Lour.) Merr. – shiny xylosma
* Xylosma controversa Clos
* Xylosma cordata (Kunth) Gilg
* Xylosma coriacea (Poit.) Eichler
* Xylosma crenata (H.St.John) H.St.John – sawtooth logwood (Kauaʻi in Hawaii)
* Xylosma domingensis (Urb.) M.H.Alford
* Xylosma dothioensis Guillaumin
* Xylosma elegans (Tul.) Triana & Planch.
* Xylosma fawcettii Urb. (Jamaica)
* Xylosma flexuosa (Kunth) Hemsl. – brushholly (Mexico, Central America)
* Xylosma gigantifolia Sleumer
* Xylosma glaberrima Sleumer (Brazil)
* Xylosma glaucescens Urb.
* Xylosma grossecrenata (Sleumer) Lescot (New Caledonia)
* Xylosma guillauminii Sleumer
* Xylosma hawaiensis Seem. – Hawaiian brushholly, maua (Hawaii)
* Xylosma hispidula Standl.
* Xylosma horrida Rose
* Xylosma iberiensis J.E.Gut.
* Xylosma inaequinervia Sleumer (New Caledonia)
* Xylosma intermedia (Seem.) Triana & Planch.
* Xylosma kaalaensis Sleumer (New Caledonia)
* Xylosma lancifolia Sleumer
* Xylosma lifuana Guillaumin
* Xylosma lineolata Urb. & Ekman
* Xylosma longifolia Clos (Western Himalayas)
* Xylosma longipedicellata A.Pool
* Xylosma longipetiolata Legname
* Xylosma lucida (Tul.) Sleumer
* Xylosma luzonensis Clos
* Xylosma maidenii Sleumer
* Xylosma martinicensis (Krug & Urb.) Urb.
* Xylosma molesta Sleumer (New Caledonia)
* Xylosma nelsonii Merr.
* Xylosma nervosa Guillaumin
* Xylosma nipensis Borhidi
* Xylosma nitida (Hell.) A.Gray ex Griseb.
* Xylosma obovata (Karsten) Triana & Planchon (Colombia)
* Xylosma oligandra Donn.Sm.
* Xylosma orbiculata (J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.) G.Forst. (Fiji, Tonga, Niue)
* Xylosma ovata Benth.
* Xylosma pachyphylla (Krug & Urb.) Urb. – spiny logwood (Puerto Rico)
* Xylosma palawanensis Mend. (Philippines)
* Xylosma panamensis Turcz.
* Xylosma pancheri Guillaumin
* Xylosma papuana Gilg
* Xylosma parvifolia Jessup
* Xylosma paucinervosa (Steyerm.) Sleumer
* Xylosma peltata (Sleumer) Lescot (New Caledonia)
* Xylosma pininsularis Guillaumin (New Caledonia)
* Xylosma prockia (Turcz.) Turcz.
* Xylosma prockia (Turcz.) Turcz.
* Xylosma proctorii Sleumer (Jamaica)
* Xylosma pseudosalzmannii Sleumer
* Xylosma pubescens Griseb.
* Xylosma quichensis Donn.Sm.
* Xylosma raimondii Sleumer
* Xylosma rhombifolia (Britton & P.Wilson) Sleumer
* Xylosma roigiana Borhidi
* Xylosma rubicunda (H.Karst.) Gilg
* Xylosma ruiziana Sleumer (Peru)
* Xylosma rusbyana Sleumer
* Xylosma samoensis (Christoph.) Sleumer (Savai'i)
* Xylosma sanctae-annae Sleumer
* Xylosma schaefferioides A.Gray
* Xylosma schaefferioides A.Gray – white logwood (Greater Antilles)
* Xylosma schwaneckeana (Krug & Urb.) Urb. – Schwaneck's logwood (Puerto Rico)
* Xylosma senticosa Hance
* Xylosma serpentina Sleumer (New Caledonia)
* Xylosma serrata (Sw.) Urb.
* Xylosma shaferi (P.Wilson) R.A.Howard & W.R.Briggs
* Xylosma simulans A.C.Sm.
* Xylosma smithiana Fosberg
* Xylosma spiculifera (Tul.) Triana & Planch. (Colombia)
* Xylosma suaveolens (J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.) G.Forst.
* Xylosma suluensis Merr.
* Xylosma sumatrana Slooten
* Xylosma terrae-reginae C.T.White & Sleumer (NSW and Queensland, Australia)
* Xylosma tessmannii Sleumer
* Xylosma tuberculata Sleumer (New Caledonia)
* Xylosma tweediana (Clos) Eichler
* Xylosma velutina (Tul.) Triana & Planch.
* Xylosma venosa N.E.Br.
* Xylosma vincentii Guillaumin

## Distribution

The genus is predominantly native to the tropics and subtropics, from the Caribbean, Central America, northern South America, the Pacific Islands, southern Asia and northern Australasia. One species, X. congesta, is found in warm-temperate eastern Asia (China, Korea and Japan). Molecular phylogenetic analysis suggest that the genus Lasiochlamys from New Caledonia may be nested in Xylosma.

## Ecology

Xylosma foliage is used as food by the caterpillars of some lepidoptera, such as the rustic (Cupha erymanthis), which feeds on X. congesta (syn. X. racemosa), and the common leopard (Phalanta phalantha), which feeds on X. longifolia and X. congesta.

## Uses

The main use for the genus is as hedge and topiary plants among gardeners in desert and chaparral climates. Xylosma congesta is the species usually seen in garden hedges and in road landscaping, despite the fact it bears thorns. Other species cultivated for these purposes include X. bahamensis, X. flexuosa, and X. spiculifera (syn. X. heterophylla). X. longifolia is sometimes grown in India for its edible fruits. In addition, a medicinal extract is made from its young leaves that acts as antispasmodic, narcotic, and sedative. 15 species of the genus have reported medicinal or veterinary use.