Wildlife: December 1999 Other Wildlife Articles

Chittamwood
Bumelia lanuginosa

Characteristics: Chittamwood is a native, deciduous, perennial woody plant that is common to widespread on a variety of sites including bottomlands, uplands, and rocky slopes. It is a small to medium-sized tree rarely reaching over 60 feet in height.

Branches are short and stiff. Twigs end in a straight spine and may have gray or rusty hairs when young and sometimes zigzag. Single spines may form at the base of some leaves. Leaves are elliptical shaped (widest beyond middle tapering to a long-pointed base) and are alternate or more often clustered on short side twigs. Leaf margins (edges) are entire (not toothed) and are shiny and hairless above with dense gray or rusty hairs below. Fruits mature black in late summer and early fall with a thin sweetish pulp that is edible. Some other common names include Woolly-bucket bumelia, Gum bumelia, Gum elastic, Coma, and Woolly buckthorn.

Area of Importance: Common to most of Oklahoma and Texas except western edges and panhandles.

Attributes: Chittamwood fruit is eaten by many wildlife species. Bobwhite quail eat the seed. White-tailed deer, goats and cattle browse it. It is occasionally used in wildlife plantings. Humans can eat the fruit and the gum excreted from cuts in the trunk can be chewed similar to chewing gum.

I.D. Tip: Look for twigs that end in a spine. Look for elliptical shaped leaves clustered on short side twigs. The short, stiff branches often form an irregular or narrow crown. The fruit or berries are one-seeded and mature black in late summer.

Hundreds of plants are identified in the Noble Foundation Plant Image Gallery.

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