About Cartrema floridana (Chapm.) G.L.Nesom
Cartrema floridana (Chapm.) G.L.Nesom, also known by the synonym Osmanthus floridanus, is commonly called wild olive or devilwood. It is a species of flowering plant that belongs to the olive family, Oleaceae. This plant is an evergreen shrub or tree, and it is endemic to central Florida. Its range extends from Dixie and Putnam counties in the northern part of central Florida down to southern Highlands County in the south. It grows in specific dry habitats: dry oak hammocks, turkey oak barrens, rosemary balds, and oak and sand pine scrubland, at elevations between 10 and 100 meters. This species is currently threatened by habitat loss and habitat degradation. Over 60% of Florida scrub habitat has already been lost to urbanization or conversion to agricultural use, including the development of citrus orchards. The remaining suitable habitat for Cartrema floridana is fragmented, and it has been degraded by disruptions to natural fire regimes that drive normal habitat succession.
