| Cecropia pachystachya | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Urticaceae |
| Genus: | Cecropia |
| Species: | C. pachystachya |
| Binomial name | |
| Cecropia pachystachya | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
List
| |
Cecropia pachystachya, commonly known as Ambay pumpwood, [1] is a species of tree in the family Urticaceae. It is native to Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil where it grows near the edges of moist forests. [2]
Cecropia pachystachya is a small evergreen tree growing to a height of about 6 m (20 ft), [2] and a trunk diameter of 15 to 25 cm (6 to 10 in). The tree has an open structure, with a small number of branches forking at an obtuse angle, and often forms a parasol-like shape. The twigs are hollow and are filled with mucilage, and both twigs and branches exude a mucilaginous sap when damaged. [3] The large leaves are almost circular, and are deeply divided into nine to ten lobes which are separated by gaps of two or three centimetres. The upper surfaces of the leaves are rough and the lower surfaces are felted with pale-coloured hairs. [4] It is a dioecious species, male and female flowers occurring on separate trees. [3] The tree has a mutualistic relationship with ants from the genus Azteca which protect the tree from herbivory. To facilitate this, it provides nourishment for the ants in the form of Müllerian bodies, glandular areas on the leaf stalks that produce oily secretions, nectar from the female flowers and pearl bodies on the surfaces of the leaves. [5]
This tree mostly found in Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina at altitudes of up to about 1,000 m (3,300 ft). It grows near the margins of humid primary forests and in clearings and secondary growth forests. It is a pioneering, fast-growing but short-lived species that sprouts readily in recently cleared areas of forest. [2]
Cecropia pachystachya is used locally for its timber, which is lightweight and suitable for making toys, boxes, pencils and plywood. Fibres from the bark are used for making sails and the mucilage can be used to make glue. [2]
The tree has many uses in traditional medicine and contains a number of bioactive compounds. The leaves have anti-inflammatory properties and have shown antibacterial activity in the laboratory against various bacteria. The leaves and other parts of the tree are used to treat respiratory complaints, oedema, kidney disorders, diabetes, Parkinson's disease and high blood pressure, as well as a number of other conditions. [2]
Cecropia is a Neotropical genus consisting of 61 recognized species with a highly distinctive lineage of dioecious trees. The genus consists of pioneer trees in the more or less humid parts of the Neotropics, with the majority of the species being myrmecophytic. Berg and Rosselli state that the genus is characterized by some unusual traits: spathes fully enclosing the flower-bearing parts of the inflorescences until anthesis, patches of dense indumentums (trichilia) producing Mullerian (food) at the base of the petiole, and anthers becoming detached at anthesis. Cecropia is most studied for its ecological role and association with ants. Its classification is controversial; in the past, it has been placed in the Cecropiaceae, Moraceae, or Urticaceae. The modern Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system places the "cecropiacean" group in the Urticaceae.
Erythrina is a genus of flowering plants in the pea family, Fabaceae. It contains about 130 species, which are distributed in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. They are trees, with the larger species growing up to 30 m (98 ft) in height. The generic name is derived from the Greek word ερυθρóς (erythros), meaning "red", referring to the flower color of certain species.
Annona squamosa is a small, well-branched tree or shrub from the family Annonaceae that bears edible fruits called sugar-apples or sweetsops. It tolerates a tropical lowland climate better than its relatives Annona reticulata and Annona cherimola helping make it the most widely cultivated of these species. Annona squamosa is a small, semi-(or late) deciduous, much branched shrub or small tree 3 metres (9.8 ft) to 8 metres (26 ft) tall similar to soursop.
Araucaria angustifolia, the Paraná pine, Brazilian pine or candelabra tree, is a critically endangered species in the conifer genus Araucaria. Although the common names in various languages refer to the species as a "pine", it does not belong in the genus Pinus.
The Myristicaceae are a family of flowering plants native to Africa, Asia, Pacific islands, and the Americas and has been recognized by most taxonomists. It is sometimes called the "nutmeg family", after its most famous member, Myristica fragrans, the source of the spices nutmeg and mace. The best known genera are Myristica in Asia and Virola in the Neotropics.
Banksia grandis, commonly known as bull banksia or giant banksia, is a species of common and distinctive tree in the south-west of Western Australia. The Noongar peoples know the tree as beera, biara, boongura, gwangia, pira or peera. It has a fire-resistant main stem with thick bark, pinnatisect leaves with triangular side-lobes, pale yellow flowers and elliptical follicles in a large cone.
Calophyllum brasiliense (guanandi) is a species of Calophyllum native to subtropical and tropical regions of Central America, South America and the Caribbean.
Syagrus romanzoffiana, the queen palm or cocos palm, is a palm native to South America, introduced throughout the world as a popular ornamental garden tree. S. romanzoffiana is a medium-sized palm, quickly reaching maturity at a height of up to 15 m (49 ft) tall, with pinnate leaves having as many as 494 pinnae (leaflets), although more typically around 300, each pinna being around 50 centimetres (18 in) in length and 3–5 centimetres (1–2 in) in width.
Melaleuca trichophylla is a shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Its pink or purple flowers appear from August to December in its native range. It has long been cultivated.
Butia paraguayensis is a species of Butia palm tree found in the cerrado region of South America. Its natural range runs from Mato Grosso do Sul and São Paulo in southern Brazil through Paraguay to northern Argentina and Uruguay. It was given the name dwarf yatay palm in English by 2000, and it is locally known as yata'i in Guaraní in Paraguay, or butiá-do-cerrado in Portuguese in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Cecropia peltata is a fast-growing tree in the genus Cecropia. Common names include trumpet tree and snakewood. It is listed as one of the world's 100 worst invasive alien species.
Butia yatay, the jelly palm or yatay palm, is a Butia palm native to southern Brazil, Uruguay and northern Argentina. It is known as the butiá-jataí in Portuguese in the south of Brazil, as well as simply jataí or butiá. It is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental in Europe and the United States. It is the tallest of all the species in the genus Butia. The fruit is edible with a sweet flavour.
Persoonia elliptica, commonly known as snottygobble or spreading snottygobble, is a plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub or small tree with egg-shaped or lance-shaped leaves and groups of cylindrical yellow flowers. It usually grows in woodland or forest dominated by jarrah or marri within 50 km (30 mi) of the coast.
Azteca alfari is a species of ant in the genus Azteca. Described by Carlo Emery in 1893, the species is widespread in Mexico, Central and South America. This ant has a mutualistic relationship with a Cecropia tree. The specific name alfari honours a Costa Rican zoologist Anastasio Alfaro.
Vitex megapotamica is a hardwood fruit tree found in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and southern Brazil. In Brazil it is commonly called tarumã.
Butia campicola is a very small species of Butia palm with an underground trunk; native to the cerrados of central Paraguay and south-central Brazil.
Qualea parviflora, known as pau-terra in Portuguese, is a deciduous tree indigenous to Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay. The tree favors dry climates like the tropical savanna of the cerrado.
Barteria fistulosa is a species of tree in the family Passifloraceae, native to tropical Central Africa. The tree has an association with an aggressive species of ant with a very painful sting, which lives in its hollow branches and twigs, and gives rise to its common name of "ant tree".
Coelomera ruficornis is a species of beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is found in tropical South America where it feeds on Cecropia pachystachya trees.
Azteca muelleri is a species of ant in the genus Azteca. Described by the Italian entomologist Carlo Emery in 1893, the species is native to Central and South America. It lives in colonies in the hollow trunk and branches of Cecropia trees. The specific name muelleri was given in honour of a German biologist Fritz Müller, who discovered that the small bodies at the petiole-bases of Cecropia are food bodies.
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