Bay-Cedar Care

Suriana maritima is a spreading, much-branched, evergreen shrub that usually grows up to 3 metres tall but exceptionally reaches 7 metres. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of wood. It is grown to stabilize sand dunes and beaches, and is also sometimes used as an ornamental, especially for hedges and screens

Shrub or small tree up to 3 m. or more tall, the younger parts and leaves finely pubescent. Leaves alternate but closely spaced, simple, linear-spatulate, very shortly acutish, gradually narrowed to short petiole, up to about 3 cm. long and 3-5 mm. wide. Flowers yellow, in subterminal, racemose clusters, petals about 8 mm. long; capsule five-parted, pubescent. As it sparingly occurs in Fiji, Suriana maritima is found. . .as a shrub or small tree 1-4 m. high, sometimes with a trunk to 8 cm. in diameter. A short, gray, often glandular indument covers most parts of the plant. The sessile, congested leaves have narrowly obovate-oblong blades usually 15-30 &mult; 2-5 mm. The inconspicuous inflorescences bear flowers scarcely 1 cm. long, with lemon-yellow petals shorter than the calyx lobes. The brownish, inconspicuous drupes are concealed by the persistent calyx. Flowers and fruits have been noted beteen August and February.