bu·mel·ia 
(by-mēlē-ə)
(by-mēlē-ə)n.
Any of several often thorny North American trees or shrubs of the genus Sideroxylon (formerly Bumelia), especially S. lanuginosum or S. lycioides of the southern United States, having very hard wood and black fleshy fruit. Also called buckthorn, shittimwood.
[New Latin Būmelia, former genus name, from Latin būmelia, ash tree, from Greek boumeliā : bous, cow; see gwou- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + meliā, ash.]