This is an evergreen tree with a slender, much-branched, somewhat columnar
crown. The bark is thick, spongy, whitish at first, exfoliating in buffish
to pale cinnamon-colored, with many papery layers. The leaves are aromatic,
simple, stiff, lanceolate to oblanceolate, very short petiolate, 4-12
cm long, 0.6-2.5 cm wide, arranged in five spiral rows. The blade tips
are pointed or narrowly rounded, blades at first densely silvery, silky,
appressed pubescent, later glabrous, dull green on both surfaces, and
dotted with reddish punctations. Principal veins number ca. 5, mostly
parallel. Flowers are white, crowded in terminal spikes or panicles of
spikes on woody axes, the stamens numerous and conspicuous giving the
inflorescence a bottle-brush aspect. Fruit is a woody capsule with many
(ca. 250) very tiny seeds.
Interesting facts
The flowering twigs resume growth after flowering and during maturation
of the fruits, as often as three times in a year on a given twig. It has
been estimated that a single 10-m-tall open-grown tree produces over 20
million seeds in its capsules. Under some conditions, large tufts or clumps
arise from the underground roots for some distance from the stem. The
growth rate of the trees is impressive, amounting to meters per year in
some habitats.
Trees can invade many types of habitats in south Florida. Death of the
aerial portion of trees results in both seed release and sprouting. Under
proper conditions, seeds readily germinate, and, once established, trees
form a dense canopy, shading out or preventing establishment of other
species. Trees colonize vast aquatic and wetland areas, effectively preventing
their use for any activities. Water and nutrient uptake by these trees
is a problem in south Florida. This species is listed as a Florida Prohibited
Aquatic Plant.