sandbox tree

sandbox tree
a tropical American tree, Hura crepitans, of the spurge family, bearing a furrowed, roundish fruit about the size of an orange that when ripe and dry bursts with a sharp report and scatters the seeds.
[1740-50]

* * *

plant
      either of two species of large trees (Hura crepitans and H. polyandra) in the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). They are among the largest trees of tropical America and are interesting for their pumpkin-shaped seed capsules that explode with a loud report, scattering the seeds. Sandbox trees are sometimes grown as boulevard trees but have disadvantages in their poisonous leaves, bark, and seeds and the explosions of their capsules, which have force enough to injure persons or livestock. H. crepitans is native through most of tropical America; H. polyandra, with white rather than red stamen clusters, is native from Mexico to Costa Rica. It is nearly 30 m (100 feet) tall with a girth of more than 1 m (3.3 feet). The trunk is studded with short, conical prickles. The long-stalked, dark-green leaves cover a round-crowned, high-branching tree. The globose seed capsules, grooved into 15 sections, are 7.6 cm (3 inches) in diameter and were used in colonial British West Indies as sandboxes for blotting ink. Some Mexican groups mix the poisonous latex with sand to stupefy fish.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • sandbox tree — n. a tropical American tree (Hura crepitans) of the spurge family, with small, woody fruit that bursts with a loud noise when ripe and scatters its seeds …   English World dictionary

  • Sandbox Tree — Taxobox name = Sandbox Tree regnum = Plantae divisio = Magnoliophyta classis = Magnoliopsida ordo = Euphorbiales familia = Euphorbiaceae genus = Hura species = H. crepitans binomial = Hura crepitans binomial authority = L.The Sandbox tree ( Hura… …   Wikipedia

  • sandbox tree — noun : a tropical American tree (Hura crepitans) having a depressed many celled woody capsule which when completely dry bursts with a loud report and scatters the seeds compare yellow sandbox * * * a tropical American tree, Hura crepitans, of the …   Useful english dictionary

  • Sandbox tree records — Infobox record label name = Sandbox Tree Records founded = 2007 founder = Joshua Lemay defunct = genre = Indie pop country = United States location = Portland, Maine url = http://www.sandboxtreerecords.co.nrSandbox Tree Records is an indie record …   Wikipedia

  • sandbox tree — /ˈsændbɒks tri/ (say sandboks tree) noun a tree, Hura crepitans, of tropical America, bearing a furrowed roundish fruit about the size of an orange which when ripe and dry bursts with a sharp report and scatters the seeds …  

  • Sandbox tree — Hura (E) …   EthnoBotanical Dictionary

  • Sandbox (software development) — A sandbox is a testing (or virtual ) environment that isolates untested code changes and outright experimentation from the production environment or repository, in the context of software development including web development and revision control …   Wikipedia

  • white sandbox — noun : a young or second growth sandbox tree with white wood compare yellow sandbox …   Useful english dictionary

  • yellow sandbox — noun : a mature sandbox tree with yellowish wood compare white sandbox …   Useful english dictionary

  • sandboxtree — sandbox tree n. A tropical American tree (Hura crepitans) having an irritating milky juice, a spiny trunk, and large woody seed capsules that split explosively when ripe.   [So called because the capsules were formerly used to hold sand for… …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”