Oxandra lanceolata aka Lancewood

Oxandra lanceolata is an evergreen tree. It belongs to the Annonaceae family. Its names include lancewood and West Indian lancewood. It grows wild in central and southern Mexico and the Caribbean. Its island range takes in Cuba, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. Kew places it in the wet tropical biome. Other records list a wider range of forest types.

Garden sources give a height of 33 feet [10 metres]. They give a spread of 26 feet [8 metres]. They describe its growth rate as moderate. Some accounts give heights near 49 feet [15 metres]. Wild plants range from shrubs to trees reaching 66 feet [20 metres]. The trunk can reach about 1 foot [0.3 metres] across. It may have no branches for 13 feet [4 metres]. The tree keeps its leaves all year.

Flowers and fruit may appear in any month. Each fruit has one to four separate parts, called monocarps. These range from dark red to black. Some are oval; others grow broader toward the tip. Each measures about 0.03–0.05 feet [0.008–0.015 metres] long. Useful Tropical Plants lists the fruit as a local food. Plants For A Future lists no known edible uses. The sources thus differ on its use as food. Neither gives full details on how to prepare or eat it.

Wild plants grow in thickets and deciduous woods, which shed their leaves. They also grow in very humid forests. They often grow in shallow soils over limestone. Records place them up to 2,297 feet [700 metres] above sea level. Growing notes call for sun and moist soil that drains well. They list sand, loam and clay as suitable soils. Neutral to alkaline soil suits the tree. This includes strongly alkaline ground. Plants For A Future lists USDA zones 10–12. Records list seed as the means to grow new plants.

People harvest wild trees for timber for use nearby and abroad. The pale yellow wood has a fine texture and straight grain. It is very hard, strong, springy and long-lasting. People use it for bows, fishing rods, cues and tool handles. They also make turned objects from it. Its dense wood is harder to work but takes a smooth finish. Folk medicine uses bark gargles for toothache. Other remedies use bark, leaves and roots for digestive problems. These are records of folk use, not proof they work or are safe. Both plant-use sources list no known hazards. The 2019 IUCN review classed the species as Least Concern.