Maytenus octogona (L‘Hér.) DC.
Galápagos leatherleaf, maytenus, leatherleaf, arrayancillo, rompe ollas
Galápagos leatherleaf is native to Ecuador, the Galápagos Islands, and Peru. It is very common in the Galápagos.
Scan from “Galapagos Plants,” by Klaus Schönitzer. Scan by Michael Schönitzer. 
Plants: Shrubs or small trees can reach 26′ (8 m) in height. Bark is fissured, and gray to whitish.
Leaves: Alternate, simple, usually elliptic or obovate, ¾–1¾″ (2–5 cm) long. Thick, waxy, entire, wavy or dentate.
Flowers: Tiny, inconspicuous greenish flowers.
Fruits: Three-lobed capsules 3½–4½″ (9–12 cm) long by 8-10 mm around contain 1-3 red berries.
Habitats: Beaches and dunes, and arid lowlands.
Online References:
References:
McMullen, Conley K., Flowering Plants of the Galápagos, Comstock Publishing Associates, 1999, p. 138
4/3/2025 · Las Bachas Beach, Santa Cruz, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador 
4/3/2025 · Las Bachas Beach, Santa Cruz, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador · By Kathryn Morgis 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Rosidae | Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more |
| Order | Celastrales | About 1300 varied mostly tropical and subtropical plants |
| Family | Celastraceae | Staff vine or bittersweet family of vines, shrubs and small trees |
| Genus | Maytenus | Derived from maiten, mayten or mayton, a Chilean (Araucan) name for the type species Maytenus boaria |
| Species | octogona | The root Greek octo, ”eight,“ likely referring to the eight-sided shape of the plant‘s twigs or leaves |
Maytenus octogona description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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