Schinus terebinthifolia
species of plant
Schinus terebinthifolia is a species of flowering plant in the cashew family, Anacardiaceae, that is native to subtropical and tropical South America. Common names include Brazilian peppertree, aroeira, rose pepper, broadleaved pepper tree, wilelaiki (or wililaiki), Christmasberry tree and Florida holly. The species name has been very commonly misspelled as 'terebinthifolius'.
Description
Brazilian peppertree is a sprawling shrub or small tree, with a shallow root system, reaching a height of 7–10 m (23–33 ft). The branches can be upright, reclining, or nearly vine-like, all on the same plant. Its plastic morphology allows it to thrive in all kinds of ecosystems, from dunes to swamps, where it grows as a semiaquatic plant. The leaves are alternate, 10–22 cm (3.9–8.7 in) long, pinnately compound with (3–) 5–15 leaflets; the leaflets are roughly oval (lanceolate to elliptical), 3–6 cm (1.2–2.4 in) long and 2–3.5 cm (0.79–1.38 in) broad, and have finely toothed margins, an acute to rounded apex, and yellowish veins. The leaf rachis between the leaflets is usually (but not invariably) slightly winged. The plant is dioecious, with small, white flowers borne profusely in axillary clusters. The fruit is a drupe 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) in diameter, carried in dense clusters of hundreds.
The public source identifies “Schinus terebinthifolia” as species of plant. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Schinus, terebinthifolia and species.
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A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Schinus terebinthifolia”, the useful work is to connect “species of plant” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Stable identifiers, scientific names and standards terminology offer the best bridge between this overview and specialist evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 26, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q899313. The Library of Congress control number is sh00002652. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
Scientific names, classifications and consensus can change while older terminology persists in catalogues and historical literature. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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This entry incorporates text from “Schinus terebinthifolia” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.