Apocynaceae FAMILY
Lacmellea panamensis
Lacmellea panamensis
Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
2/5
Safety & Hazards
None known
Botanical Description
Lacmellea panamensis is an evergreen tree with a thick but narrow, bright green crown; it can grow 15 - 20 metres tall. The straight, cylindrical bole can be up to 45cm in diameter, armed with broad-based, conical thorns. The bole of larger trees can have low, rounded, short buttresses. The bole is frequently covered by colonies of blue-grey lichens[ 510 Title Trees of Costa Rica's Pacific Slope Publication Author Website http://www.cds.ed.cr/teachers/harmon/page1.html Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Information on over 80 species of tree from the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. ]. The trees are harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of latex and wood.
Habitat & Origin
Origintropical
Native RangeS. America - Ecuador, Colombia; C. America - Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua
HabitatAn understorey or subcanopy tree, growing on well-drained soils in a range of conditions but mainly in the deep shade of dense, primary forest[ 510 Title Trees of Costa Rica's Pacific Slope Publication Author Website http://www.cds.ed.cr/teachers/harmon/page1.html Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Information on over 80 species of tree from the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. ].